The role of social workers in ameliorating the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria
Internal displacement which is caused by natural and man-made disasters remains a global humanitarian challenge. There were about 3.3 million IDPs in 2014 scattered all over Nigeria in various camps and host communities. They face untold economic hardship, psychological trauma and social dislocation. To ameliorate their sufferings, social work intervention is required. The main objective of this paper therefore is to investigate the role of social workers in ameliorating the plight of IDPs in Nigeria. Anchoring on the theory of sufficiency of well-being and system theory, secondary sources were reviewed to collect data. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data. It was revealed that social workers in Nigeria have not been visible in assisting the IDPs and this is because the profession has not yet been recognized. Government has made efforts to address the plight of IDPs by providing camps but still they are facing severe socio-economic, health, security and environmental challenges therefore they require urgent attention of social workers to ensure that they turn to their normal lives and be re-integrated into the society. Also suggested is that Social Work Professionalization Bill should be passed into law to enable all concerned to see the need for the deployment of social work expertise in the rehabilitation of IDPs.