Conflict Drives More Nigerian Men Into Displacement than Women
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), as of the end of 2024, men accounted for 51% of Nigeria’s 3.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) resulting from conflict and violence, while women made up the remaining 49%. Although the percentage gap appears marginal, the absolute numbers reveal that over 39,000 more men were displaced than women. Specifically, an estimated 1.69 million men were internally displaced, compared to 1.65 million women.
This higher male displacement rate reflects the fact that many of the key drivers of displacement, such as violent conflict, armed banditry, and insurgency, disproportionately affect men, who are often targeted for recruitment, conscription, or violence by armed groups. In many conflict zones, young and middle-aged men are forced to flee first, either to avoid being killed or forcibly conscripted, or to seek safety and economic stability elsewhere for their families.
However, while men make up the larger share of displaced individuals, the experience of displacement is not uniform across genders. Women, although fewer in number than men, often face heightened vulnerabilities in displacement settings, including exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, exploitation, and limited access to health services. Even though the figures appear balanced, the experiences of displacement among men and women differ significantly.
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