ADOLESCENTS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMPS (IDPCS) IN GIREI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ADAMAWA STATE: A FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION (FGD) TECHNIQUE

Abstract

The study explored adolescents’ socio-economic challenges in Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Girei Local Government Area, Adamawa State, Nigeria. FocusGroup Discussion technique was used to interview adolescent boys ages 10-14 and 15-19 years. Altogether, 58 adolescent boys were interviewed in two separate Displaced Persons (PDs) camps; Girei 1 Primary School IDPs camp and NYSC Orientation, Damare IDPs camp using same set of questions and questioning technique. From adolescents’ responses on their socioeconomicchallenges, adolescents have fears, anxieties, worries, hope and challenges they faced in DPs camps and as adolescents. Adolescents have ambitions of becoming physicians, lawyers, accountants, etc but they worry that they have been forced to leave their communities and therefore have no hope of completing their secondary education. They are also afraid of guns and what might happen to them and their loved ones whenever they get the opportunity to go back to their communities. Some adolescents fear that they may fail in life and becomeirresponsible to the society. In the camps, lack of adequate feeding, bullying and stealing, lack of education, joblessness, unplanned marriage, drugs addiction, poverty, disunity and indiscipline are some of the challenges they have faced. The study concluded that adolescents face complex socio-economic challenges that make survival more difficult in DPs camps, making them more vulnerable to challenges that aid resistance on their path to responsible adulthood.