From Displacement to Adaptation: Livelihood Dynamics and Agricultural Land Access Among Internally Displaced Persons in The Lake Chad Basin

Abstract

Forced displacement is one of the most pressing humanitarian and development challenges globally, particularly in conflict-affected regions such as the Lake Chad Basin. This study examined the dynamics of livelihood transformation and agricultural land access among IDPs in Yobe State, Nigeria. It focused on understanding how displacement reshaped agrarian livelihoods and adaptive strategies in host communities. It employed mixed-methods research design, multistage sampling technique and descriptive statistical analysis. The findings revealed that pre-displacement livelihoods were overwhelmingly agrarian, with crop farming (49.4%) and livestock rearing (17.3%) as the dominant. However, displacement significantly disrupted these land-dependent livelihoods, leading to a marked shift toward precarious survival activities such as petty trading (26.9%) and casual labour (23.0%). Only 14.6% of respondents remained actively engaged in farming after displacement, reflecting widespread loss of productive assets and limited access to cultivable land. Although 59.5% have land access in host communities, most arrangements were insecure, temporary or mediated through rental, borrowing or host-allocated systems. Inadequate land size, poor soil fertility, long distances to farms and persistent insecurity further constrained agricultural reintegration. Consequently, food and income security declined significantly, reinforcing economic vulnerability and dependence on humanitarian assistance. The study concluded that IDPs’ livelihood restoration requires prioritization of land access, strengthened tenure security, climate-resilient agricultural support and livelihood diversification.