EVALUATING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF FORCED DISPLACEMENT AMONG CONFLICT-AFFECTED YOUTHS IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

The protracted Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgency in Northeast Nigeria has
generated one of the most severe humanitarian displacements on the African continent, concentrating its devastation
primarily across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. This paper evaluates the psychosocial and educational consequences
of this forced displacement for conflict-affected youths in the region. Drawing on a systematic review of peer-reviewed
journal articles, institutional humanitarian reports, and field-based qualitative and quantitative studies published between
2018 and 2026, the paper argues that displacement has produced compounding and intergenerational harm: youths in
displacement settings exhibit clinically significant rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and
functional impairment, while simultaneously enduring the near-total collapse of formal schooling. The destruction of over
1,500 educational facilities, the killing and displacement of thousands of teachers, and the pervasive climate of fear in
learning environments have collectively denied millions of children and adolescents their fundamental right to education.
The paper further identifies critical gaps in the existing literature, including the absence of longitudinal studies tracking
outcomes across displacement phases, the underrepresentation of gender-disaggregated data, and an inadequate evidence
base on intervention effectiveness. Policy-relevant recommendations targeting the Federal Government of Nigeria,
UNICEF Nigeria, UNHCR Nigeria, the Borno State Ministry of Education, Save the Children Nigeria, and the
International Rescue Committee are advanced, with the goal of restoring protective systems that simultaneously address
mental health and educational continuity for displaced youths.

Funding: This is a self-funded research

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethics Approval: Not_applicable

Data Availability: Data will be made available upon reasonable request

AI-Assisted Writing: No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.