Internally Displaced Persons and the Post-Conflict Partitioning of Jos City

Abstract

This paper examines the problem of internal displacement arising from a series of control by the indigene and settler categories and how it has led to the post-conflict partitioning of the City of Jos. The paper established that massive displacement of persons within the city led to the reconfiguration of the settlement pattern of the city, as people either relocated to places considered safe havens, leading to the creation of exclusive settlements along mainly, religious divides. This displacement pattern has led to the emergence of new settlements, mostly unplanned and 'illegal' and has also led to an increase in the density of slums in the city. Thus, this paper recommends that the Plateau State Government should intensify its commitment to the protection of life and property of all citizens residing in Jos, irrespective of ethnic or religious background; the Federal Government of Nigeria should massively mobilize and deploy resources in support of the Plateau State Government towards the redesigning the settlement pattern in Jos, in line with modernity; the diplomatic community should continue to impress on the Nigerian Government to be more practical in its commitment to the resolution of the Jos Conflict; and the donor agencies should provide continuous assistance to mediators working towards resolving the conflict in Jos.