International Organization for Migration
IOM SHELTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN RETURN AREAS: BORNO STATE
November 2017
Shelter Needs Assessment Report
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 1
Table of Content
BACKGROUND ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
OBJECTIVE ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
COVERAGE ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
METHODOLOGY ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Demographic Profile …………………………………………………………………………. 6
Housing, Land and Property ………………………………………………………………… 12
Housing Condition ……………………………………………………………………………17
Damage Assessment …………………………………………………………………………21
Access to Other Services …………………………………………………………………….30
RECOMMENDATIONS …………………………………………………………………………. 36
MAJOR DIFFERENCES: ADAMAWA AND BORNO ………………………………………………. 40
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 2
BACKGROUND
In North-Eastern Nigeria, attacks and counter attacks have resulted in prolonged insecurity and endemic
violations of human rights, triggering waves of forced displacement. Almost two million people remain
displaced in Nigeria, and displacement continues to be a significant factor in 2017.
Since late 2016, IOM and other humanitarian partners have been able to scale up on its activities.
However, despite the will and hope of the humanitarian community and the Government of Nigeria and
the dedication of teams and humanitarian partners in supporting them, humanitarian needs have
drastically increased and the humanitarian response needs to keep scaling up to reach all the affected
population in need. While the current humanitarian response covers all four states, the humanitarian
access to large territories in Borno and Yobe States remains very limited. However, in Borno, many people
have started to return to their homes of origin in different LGAs which are accessible to the humanitarian
community. While some people have started living in their damaged houses, some are renting or are
sharing with relatives and neighbours, while some IDPs are being hosted by the host community. In order
to support the voluntary return of the displaced population, as well as support non-displaced people who
are affected, it is necessary to provide shelter assistance to the affected population to facilitate the self-
help and more sustainable solutions. For this reason, it is of utmost importance to have a better
understanding of the varying degrees of damages experienced by different segments of the affected
population so that assistance can be targeted and tailored.
With this purpose in mind, IOM conducted a household assessment in 3 of the worst affected LGAs in
Borno state in September - October 2017 to gather more in-depth data regarding the shelter situation in
those areas. This report captures the process and the findings form the assessment in order to provide
better guidance as to the nature of shelter needs and to come collectively to a better solution.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this assessment is to find out the following:
- The nature of shelter needs in the areas of return
- The types of accommodation / housing used traditionally in the targeted areas
- The varying level of damage sustained by the houses of the affected population
- The demographic profile of the affected population along with the socio-economic condition
- The access to water and sanitation facilities
- The condition of the markets and access to construction materials, skilled labor and financial
agents
- The capacity of the affected population for self-help and recovery
Through analysis and evaluation of information obtained from the assessment, the report aims to provide
programmatic insights for internal and external use. The findings from the assessment will be used to feed
back into ongoing projects as to the selection of areas of intervention as well as contribute to the design
and implementation of future shelter assistance targeted at the covered population.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 3
COVERAGE
The assessment covered 3 of the worst affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Borno State in North-
East Nigeria, namely Dikwa, Ngala and Gwoza. Pulka, which falls under Gwoza LGA is considered
separately as an area of interest for the purpose of this assessment.
For the 982 households assessed, the pie-chart on the right
shows the distribution per LGA. The majority was assessed
from Gwoza (351 HHs), followed by Dikwa (263 HHs),
Ngala (241 HHs) and lastly Pulka (127 HHs).
Within the LGAs, the different wards were selected
according to their level of damage, keeping in mind the
level of accessibility. A total of 11 wards were covered by
the assessment.
DIKWA, 263
PULKA, 127
GWOZA, 351
NGALA, 241
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 4
LGA WARD VILLAGES / AREAS
Dikwa Dikwa Dikwa Kasugula
BAKIN kasuwa Cungozarma
Cross Dandal Limanti
Malari Bulabulin A
Kanumburi jajaa Bulabulin B
Amsa gajiram Fulatari
Kanumburi bakin kasuwa Chingo zarmaye
Shuwari Mogolanda
Afunori
Ngala Ngala Ajari Ngala Central
Kangaleri Mairi
Toskole Wulari
Dandal Kura Genral Hospital
Anguwan primary Afunori
Abuja Central Mosque
Bakin Tasha Mulwa
Dandal Kura Hausari
Jansike Senior Quarters
Old Gamboru A Kanumburi Sangayakura
Lawanti ward A Government day
Mundulmari Old Gamboru A
Zannari Gomboru Dina
Bakin Kasuwa
Gamboru B Malumburi
Bakin Kasuwa
Hausari
Gamboru C Shehuri
Tunokalia Ngala
Gwoza Gwoza Wakane / Bulabulin Gwoza R.E.B. Behind Bank
Wakane Sabon Gari
Bulabulin T.C
Low Cost Tashan Damboa
Works Area Wakani Bypass
Gavisga Aribi
Bayan Bank
Gwoza Town Gadamayo Gwoza Town Sabon Gari
Gadamayo T.C
Tashan Damboa
Bite / Izge Bita
Bukutu
Komda
Guduf Nagadiyo Gwoza Town
T.C
Pulka / Bokko Pulka Majune
Boko Wizhe Baking Dam
Wesha
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 5
METHODOLOGY
With the affected population dispersed over a wide geographic area and residing in a variety of
accommodation types, it was vital to choose a methodology and sampling strategy that could provide a
baseline of useful information at both an operational and a programmatic level. The sample to be
representative of 24,694 households would have been too large to cover and collecting a useful and
representative sample in each of these LGAs would have required an immense logistical and financial
operation which raised practical concern.
In response, the sample size of 1,000 households was determined based on the human resource available
for conducting the assessment as well as the time available for the purpose.
The 3 LGAs in Borno (4 locations) were selected based on the number of returnees, perceived level of
damage that households have experienced to their houses and property and accessibility.
The total population of the 4 locations were gathered from the most updated Displacement Tracking
Matrix (DTM Round XVI) of the time. The combined population of IDPs and Returnees was considered for
calculating the sample size per LGA and the households numbers to be assessed were spread out
proportionately, meaning the sample size was proportionate to the number of returnees and IDPs. The
following table gives the breakdown:
No LGA/LOCATION Returnee IDP Total Percentage No of HH assessed
1 Dikwa 3,226 3,453 6,679 27.05 270
2 Ngala 5,252 980 6,232 25.24 253
3 Gwoza 1,821 6,821 8,642 35.00 350
4 Pulka 480 2,661 3,141 12.72 127
TOTAL = 24,694 100.00 1000
However, during the assessment, the total number finally assessed was 982 HHs as described in the chart
above.
The assessment questionnaire was designed to collect quantitative data, with a few open-ended questions
and observational questions to complement with qualitative information. The questionnaire was
developed based on the draft questionnaire shared by the Shelter/CCCM/DMS Working Group and
adding questions to collect more information as well as making some changes to contextualize the tool.
A total of 8 IOM Staff took part in the data collection. The staff was deployed in 4 teams each consisting
two members to cover the 4 locations. Their selection was done based on communication skills, familiarity
with the locations, language compatibility and ensuring gender balance.
The assessment was conducted through door-to-door visits and the respondents were selected randomly
from the worst affected Wards. Strict adherence to IOM’s Data Protection Principles was applied. IDPs
were informed about the purpose of the survey, its voluntary nature, confidentially and their willing
consent was taken to participate.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 6
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS :
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 7
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLDS
Out of the 982 HHs surveyed, only 13% were female-headed
households, while male-headed households were 87%.
17% of the assessed households were single-headed. However,
of the 164 households that were single-headed, an
overwhelming majority of 124 HHs (76%) was female-headed.
There was no child-headed household reported in the
assessment, although one head of household was an18 years
old female in Gwoza.
SEX AND AGE DISAGREGATED DATA (SADD)
The table shows the composition of HHs
disaggregated by gender and age. As
can be seen, the male: female ratio is
almost 50:50 for children between 1 to
5 years of age. The similar is true for
children between 6 to 12 years and
those between 13 to 18 years old.
There are less number of female
babies who are less than one year old.
A much higher proportion of female
members is noticed in the age group
between 19 to 39 years, while a
significantly higher proportion of male
members seen for the elderly over the
age of 60.
HOUSEHOLD SIZE
The average HH size received from the assessment sample is 9.25.
Male 87%
Female13%
MaleFemale
40
124
17%
83%
Single Headed HH Not single headed
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
Male
Female
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 8
MARITAL STATUS
86% of the respondents were married, while a good 10% were widowed. The groups that were either
single or divorced were 2% each. The table illustrates the different marital status of the respondents by
gender. Of the respondents who reported being single, the ratio of male to female is almost 50:50.
Almost 98% of the married respondents were male. Of respondents who were divorced, a high female
percentage is noticed (86%). Similar trend is noticed for the widowed respondents, 86% of whom were
female.
REGISTRATION
38% of all the assessed HHs was biometrically registered by
IOM, while the majority comprising of 62% was not registered.
DISPLACEMENT PROFILE
In regards to the displacement profile of the assessed population, the overwhelming majority of the
assessed HHs, 94%, reported themselves to be returnees, while only close to 6% were IDPs.
Less than 1% of the assessed population was not displaced by the crisis. These 4 HHs were from Gwoza.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Single
Married
Divorced
Widowed
Male
Female
Single 2%
Married 86%
Divorced 2%
Widowed 10%
38%
62%Yes
No
0 100 200 300 400
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Not displaced
Returnee
IDP
6%
94%
0%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 9
SPECIAL NEEDS
Various vulnerabilities have been reported by
the sample population. It is also important to
note that one household can report multiple
vulnerabilities, therefore the total reported in
the graph does not signify the total number
of respondents, rather the number of times
the vulnerabilities have been mentioned.
499 HHs indicated having lactating mothers
while 268 HHs had pregnant mothers.
Families that reported having members with
mental or physical disabilities were 50 in
number.
LENGTH OF STAY AT CURRENT LOCATION
The overwhelming majority of the assessed population had already been staying there for over a year
(79%). The second majority of 17% had been living for less than 1 year but more than 6 months. 3%
have been living there for less than 3 months. 11 families had been living there for less than 3 months, 10
of whom were in Ngala and 1 in Dikwa. The 3 families that had been living for less than even a month
were also from Ngala.
INTENTION TO STAY AT CURRENT LOCATION
Majority of the assessed households had no movement intentions for the long term. When asked about
whether they wanted to move from their current locations or stay, 82% of the respondents reported that
they were planning to stay over a year. Only 9% reported that they wanted stay over 6 months but less
than a year (Ngala and Dikwa). 8% were willing to stay for more than 3 months but not longer than 6
months, mostly from Dikwa. Only 1 family in Dikwa wanted to move within a month.
268
499
50
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Pregnant women Lactating mother Person withmental/physical
disability
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Less than 1 month
Between 1 to 3 months
Between 3 to 6 months
6 months to 1 year
Over 1 year
0%1%3%
17%
79%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 10
LIVELIHOODS
Farming is the source of livelihoods for almost over 3 quarter
of the population assessed (38%). This is followed by people
engaged in varying types of business and petty trades which
is the other type of livelihoods that stands out (33%).
29% of the households reported other kinds of livelihood
activities as their source of income, which by itself do not
make a significant percentage on its own. These include:
- tailoring,
- civil service,
- driving of vehicles including trucks,
- teaching,
- masonry and brick making/ laying,
- carpentry,
- being a pastor,
- Livestock rearing,
- humanitarian work,
- barber,
- veterinary,
- butchery,
- blacksmithing,
- living on pensions, etc.
Pulka and Ngala are dominated by farmers, while more variety is observed in Dikwa and Gwoza.
Only 2.74% of the HHs are involved with the construction trade, consisting of masons and carpenters,
which might be an indication of the level of support required in terms of labor and technical guidance
when it comes to rehabilitation and rebuilding.
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Less than 1 month
Between 1 to 3 months
Between 3 to 6 months
6 months to 1 year
Over 1 year
0%1%8%
9%
82%
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Farming
Business/ Petty Trade
Others
Farming 38%
Business/ Petty Trade 29%
Others 33%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 11
As to the earning member of the family, 74% of the
families have their male members as the bread-winner
while in the case of only 12% of the families, the income
earner is female. 14% of the assessed families reported
having both female and male members as the livelihood
earner.
MONTHLY INCOME
223 HHs from the sample population did not provide information on their monthly income.
Among the rest, the vast majority of the households (41%) reported having a monthly income range
between 20,000 – 40,000 NGN before the insurgency, followed by 21% whose monthly income range
was below 20,000 NGN.
19% of the families used to have a monthly income of 40,000 – 75,000 NGN, while 10% had 75,000 –
100,000 NGN. An income above 100,000 NGN belonged to 9% of the assessed HHs.
While making comparisons between the monthly income
before and after the insurgency and how it has affected their
livelihoods, the overwhelming majority of 79% reported that it
was highly affected with a decrease of income of 50% and
over, while 20% reported that their incomes were slightly
affected. Only 1% of the assessed sample mentioned that the
crisis has not had any effect on their status of income. It is
clearly visible from the table above that Gwoza and Pulka are
the worst affected LGAs in terms of economic impact, followed
closely by Ngala. The impact on livelihoods for a large
population in Dikwa remains slightly affected.
8 0 2 3
108
255
57
147
102344
181
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Not affected Slightly affected
Highly affected
21%
41%
19%
10% 9%
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA0-20,000 NGN
20,000-40,000 NGN
40,000 - 75,000 NGN
75,000 -100,000 NGN
Above 100,000 NGN
No answer
Male 74%
Female12%
Both14%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 12
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS :
HOUSING, LAND AND PROPERTY
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 13
PROPERTY OWNERSHIP
When asked about the status of ownership of the occupied houses, an overwhelming majority of 93%
had private ownership of their houses, while only 2% (20 HHs) reported having private co-ownership. 15
of the assessed HHs were staying as caretakers of the houses. 11% families were sharing with their
relatives. Similar trend is noticed in all the locations, with only Dikwa having a greater percentage of
different arrangements.
RENTAL AGREEMENTS
Only 10 HHs which is 1% of the assessed sample were paying rent. Out of these 10 HHs, 4 were from
Dikwa, 3 from Gwoza, 2 from Ngala, and 1 from Pulka.
As regards to the monthly rent paid by the HHs, the rent ranged from 1,000 NGN to 6,000 NGN.
918
20
15
10
11
3
6
Private Ownership
Private Co-ownership
Caretaker
Renting
Sharer
Occupying withouth concent
Others
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA Private Ownership
Private Co-ownership
Caretaker
Renting
Sharer
Occupying withouth concent
Others
0 1 2 3 4 5
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Series1 4 1 3 2
1%
99%
Renting Not- renting
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 14
When asked concerning the type of rental agreement held by the families, 4 out of the 10 families
reported that they had a formal rental agreement, while 6 of the families reported having informal or
verbal agreements.
LAND OWNERSHIP
During the assessment, families were asked about
the documentations of their land ownership. 24%
of the respondents never had any documentation.
On the contrary, 35% said they had formal
documentation of the land ownership, majority of
them coming from Dikwa and Ngala, and
followed by Gwoza.
39% of the families said they had formal
documentation but the documents are not
available at the moment.
Of the 585 HHs that provided answers as to why
the documentation was not available, 50% said
the documentations were burnt during the
violence caused by the insurgencies while 29%
had lost them. Another important reason raised
by the families for not having documentation is
that there are no existing formal methods of
documenting land (2%). 9% mentioned that they
inherited the land from their ancestors and hence
did not receive or feel the need for any
documentation. 2% built houses on their farm-
lands and did not have documentation.
SHARED LIVING SPACE
In reply to whether the families were sharing the houses with others or not, overall majority of 61%
reported not sharing with any other families. 17% of the assessed HHs were sharing their accommodation
with relatives while 6% were sharing with friends and 16% with neighbors. In Pulka and Ngala, most of
the people reported not sharing accommodation. In Dikwa, majority of the people were sharing.
35%
24%
39%
2%
Yes No Not availabe Other
50%
9%2%
29%
2%8%
Burnt
Inherited
No formal method/ verbal
Lost
Farming land
0 100 200 300 400
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALASharing withNeighbours
Sharing with Friend
Shairng with relatives
Not sharing
Not sharing 61%Shairng
with relatives
17%
Sharing with
Friend6%
Sharing with
Neighbours16%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 15
CHANGE OF LIVING SPACE
When asked whether people were living in the same house after the insurgency as before or not, it was
found that 57% are living in the same house as they were before.
On the other hand, 43% reported changing their type of accommodation. The change of house is more
prominent in Gwoza and Pulka.
When the families who reported
not staying in the same house
were asked where they are
currently living, 207 reported
living in Traditional Houses (made
of mud brick / adobe), 134 were
living in Masonry Buildings
(bricks/ blocks). 44 families were
living in Emergency / Transitional
shelters built by humanitarian
agencies.
Self-made shelter with grass mats in Dikwa Traditional mud house in Pulka
57%
43%Same house asbefore
Not the samehouse
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA Traditional House(Adobe / Mud brick)
Masonry Building(Blocks/ bricks)
Emergency/ TransitionalShelter by an agency
In open / public space
Other
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 16
Masonry house in Ngala Makeshift shelter with salvaged materials in Dikwa
DISTANCE BETWEEN CURRENT AND ORIGINAL HOUSE
Of the families that reported not living
in the same house, majority (77%) had
their original house within walking
distance. However, 10% had their
houses in another ward, but not within
walking distance. 18 families had their
houses of origin in another ward in the
same LGA. 18 other families had houses
in a different LGA, while 19 had their
houses in a different state.
Distance DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Nearby (within walking distance) 5 56 224 32
In the same ward (but not walking distance) 2 12 20 8
In the same LGA, but different Ward 1 0 7 10
In a different LGA, but within the state 0 0 0 18
In a different State 0 0 14 5
77%
10%
4%4%5%
Nearby (withinwalking distance)
In the same ward (butnot walking distance)
In the same LGA, butdifferent Ward
In a different LGA,but within the state
In a different State
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 17
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS:
HOUSING CONDITION
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 18
The composition of the houses the assessed households were living in were observed in terms of the
different components of the structure – 1) Floor, 2) Frame, 3) Wall and 4) Roof. This provides a good
idea of the materials that are frequently used in different locations and whether the houses are of a
temporary, semi-permanent or permanent nature.
1) FLOOR
Overall, compact mud and concrete are the two most commonly observed floor types, each comprising
41% and 52% of the assessment sample. On the contrary, 6% reported not having any floors. Compact
mud floors seems to be prominent in Dikwa, while concrete floors are more prominent in Pulka, Gwoza
and Ngala. In Pulka, a good 24% reported not having floor.
2) FRAME
The use of timber and concrete columns were seen as the most common items for the frames (30% each).
This is closely followed by the use of brick columns which is prevalent among 26% of the population. 8%
used poles for the frames. It can be safely derived form this that 56% of the houses are of a permanent
nature.
In Pulka, the use of timber is predominant, while in Gwoza the use of concrete columns are prominent
followed by the use of brick columns. Ngala and Dikwa has a combination of all types of materials for
framing purposes.
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
No floor
Compact Mud
Concrete
Other / No answer
6%
41%52%
1%
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Pole
Timber
Concrete Column
Brick Column
Other
8%
30%
30%
26%
6%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 19
3) WALL
When it comes to materials used for walls, the most commonly used materials were mud bricks and
cement blocks (39% each). The second majority (18%) used burnt bricks as wall material. 12 families
used grass and thatch as walling material followed by 6 families who used mats, traditionally known as
Zana. 6 families used bamboo/ reed for the walls. 10 families were found to be using plastic sheeting to
cover the walls. No body uses timber for the walls.
Burnt brick is the dominant material in Ngala, whereas in Gwoza half of the population uses cement
blocks and the other half uses mud bricks.
4) ROOF
Unsurprisingly, zinc sheets or corrugates iron sheets were observed to be the most commonly used roofing
material, used by 86% of the families interviewed.
Aluminum sheets were used by 7% of the assessed households. grass/ thatch by 4% and plastic sheet by
3%. The use of grass or thatch roofs are more prominent in parts of Pulka and Dikwa.
Aluminum sheets were used by 7% of the assessed households. grass/ thatch by 4% and plastic sheet by
3%.
The use of grass or thatch roofs are more prominent in parts of Pulka and Dikwa.
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Grass/Thatch
Iron/Zinc sheets
Plastic sheet
Aluminium roofing
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA Grass /Thatch
Mat (Zana)
Bamboo / reed
Timber
Mud brick / Mud
Burnt Brick
Cement block
Plastic Sheeting
1% 1%1%
0%
39%
18%
39%
1%
4%
86%
3%
7%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 20
TOTAL NUMBER OF ROOMS
When looking at the total number of
rooms present in the house or shared
compound, it was found that the majority
(33%) had between 4 to 5 rooms, with
the second highest majority (32%) having
2-3 rooms. 29% of the families had 6-10
rooms, while 6% had over 10 rooms.
TOTAL LAND AREA
Unfortunately the data for the total
land area for Gwoza and Pulka were
not usable. However, for Ngala and
Dikwa, a good number of families live
in large compounds with a total land
area of the household compound
being over 100 square meters. The
second highest percentage of the
population live in compounds that are
between 51 to 100 square meters.
32%
33%
29%
6%
2 to 3
4 to 5
6 to 10
Over 10
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
DIKWA NGALA
Over 100
From 51 to 100
From 31 to 50
30 or less
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 21
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS:
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 22
It was found that 98.7% of all houses assessed went through various levels of damage due to the violence
during the insurgencies. Only a few households (7 from Ngala, 1 from Dikwa and 1 from Gwoza)
reported that their houses did not suffer any damage.
LEVEL OF DAMAGE
To assess the level of damage and the detailed nature of it, the different types were damages were put
into the following 4 categories:
CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2
Light damage (Livable) Medium or light damage
(Needs minimum repair, but livable)
- Bullet holes on the external walls but not
penetrated inside
- Damage to glass or locks on windows and
doors
- Light fire damage evident
- Hairline cracks in very few walls. Fall of small
pieces of plaster only
- Fall of loose stones from upper wall in very few
cases
- Bullet holes penetrated walls
- Doors and/or windows need to be replaced
- Toilets and wash areas unusable
- Damage to brick work or wall 10%
- Damage to flooring and plastering 10%
- Fire damage evident
- Cracks in many walls
- Rafters exiting but roofing sheet partially
uprooted
CATEGORY 3 CATEGORY 4
Medium-heavy damages – Repair need before being
usable for living
Heavy/ completely damaged – To rebuild
- Damage to brick work or wall 25%
- Damage to flooring and plastering around
25%
- Significant fire damage evident
- Any structural damage
- Large and extensive cracks in most walls
- Rafters exiting but without roofing sheet
- Partially or completely collapsed roof (no
rafters/ no sheet/ or collapsed concrete slab
roof)
- Severe damage to flooring/ walls (50% or
more)
From the assessed households, the majority fell under Category 4 of heavy or complete damage.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 23
CATEGORY 1
Chart showing frequency of different type of
damage under category 1
Light fire damage, fall of small pieces of plaster
only, Ngala
CATEGORY 2
24%
19%
28%
14%
15%
Bullet holes on theexternal walls butnot penetratedinside
Damage to glass orlocks on windowsand doors
Light fire damageevident
0 50 100 150 200 250
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Fall of loose stones from upper wall invery few cases
Hairline cracks in very few walls. Fallof small pieces of plaster only
Light fire damage evident
Damage to glass or locks on windowsand doors
Bullet holes on the external walls butnot penetrated inside
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 24
Chart showing frequency of different type of
damage under category 2
Rafters existing but roofing sheet partially
uprooted, Gwoza
CATEGORY 3
7%
15%
13%
13%12%
19%
15%
6%
Bullet holespenetrated walls
Doors and/orwindows need tobe replaced
Toilets and washareas unusable
Damage to brickwork or wall 10%
0 50 100 150 200 250
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALARafters exiting but roofing sheetpartially uprooted
Cracks in many walls
Fire damage evident
Damage to flooring and plastering10%
Damage to brick work or wall 10%
Toilets and wash areas unusable
Doors and/or windows need to bereplaced
Bullet holes penetrated walls
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 25
Chart showing frequency of different type of
damage under category 3
Failure of structural elements, large and extensive
cracks, Dikwa
CATEGORY 4
20%
18%
23%
15%
16%
8%
Damage to brickwork or wall 25%
Damage to flooringand plasteringaround 25%
Significant firedamage evident
Any structuraldamage
0 50 100 150 200 250
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Rafters exiting but without roofingsheet
Large and extensive cracks in mostwalls
Any structural damage
Significant fire damage evident
Damage to flooring and plasteringaround 25%
Damage to brick work or wall 25%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 26
Chart showing frequency of different type of
damage under category 4
Completely damaged roof, serious failure of
walls; Partial structure failure, Gwoza
The chart below shows how many times one particular type has been reported. The highest type of
damage reported is partially or completely collapsed roof and severe damage to floors and walls (over
20%
18%
23%
15%
16%
8%
Damage to brickwork or wall 25%
Damage to flooringand plasteringaround 25%
Significant firedamage evident
Any structuraldamage
0 100 200 300 400
GOMBI
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Partially or completely collapsed roof(no rafters/ no sheet/ or collapsedconcrete slab roof ) Severe damage toflooring/ walls (50% or more )
Severe damage to flooring/ walls(50% or more )
Severe damage to flooring/ walls(50% or more )
Partially or completely collapsed roof
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 27
50%). The second most is significant fire damage. This is followed by severe damage to flooring (50% or
more), other evident fire damages and 10% damage to brickwork or wall. Other significant damages
are damage to glass/ locks/ windows / doors, visible hairline cracks, unusable toilets and showers, 10%
damage to floor and plastering and structural damages.
ROOF DAMAGE
82% of all interviewed families had their roof damaged
to varying degrees.
In Gwoza, all the houses had their roof damaged, while in
Pulka and Ngala only a small portion of houses did not
have their roof damaged.
In Dikwa, 60% of the households reported that they did
not have any roof damage.
Among the affected houses, 88% had encountered a damage of over 50% of the total roof surface, 9%
experiencing less than 50% damage and only 3% with less than 25% damage.
220
113
180
40
201
52
97
101
155
175
184
222
159
151
151
152
162
201
151
214
107
51
15
30
45
41
3
15
46
14
36
32
34
51
0
46
35
25
9
51
6
75
85
20
67
138
108
10
10
151
152
76
81
209
71
3
89
97
220
82
63
5
119
232
349
96
72
54
16
7
96
77
60
62
26
52
28
5
113
87
83
53
7
10
90
81
150
Bullet holes on the external walls but not penetrated inside
Damage to glass or locks on windows and doors
Light fire damage evident
Hairline cracks in very few walls. Fall of small pieces of plaster only
Fall of loose stones from upper wall in very few cases
Bullet holes penetrated walls
Doors and/or windows need to be replaced
Toilets and wash areas unusable
Damage to brick work or wall 10%
Damage to flooring and plastering 10%
Fire damage evident
Cracks in many walls
Rafters exiting but roofing sheet partially uprooted
Damage to brick work or wall 25%
Damage to flooring and plastering around 25%
Significant fire damage evident
Any structural damage
Large and extensive cracks in most walls
Rafters exiting but without roofing sheet
Partially or completely collapsed roof
Severe damage to flooring/ walls (50% or more )
Both partially damaged roof and walls
Partially or completely collapsed roof / Severe damage to flooring/ walls (50%…
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Roof damage
d 82%
No roof damage
18%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 28
NO OF CURRENTLY HABITABLE ROOMS
When compared with now as to the number of currently habitable rooms, 43% which is the majority
reported having no habitable room, while on the contrary 19% reported having at least one habitable
room and the same percentage had 2 habitable rooms. 8% had 3 habitable rooms. Gwoza and Ngala
turned out to have most families who did not have at least one habitable room.
PRESENCE OF LATRINES
Access to sanitation facilities was also an
important consideration for the assessment.
Majority (81%) had access to functioning
private toilets, a small percentage of 19% did
not have a functioning latrine in the homestead.
The situation looks better in Dikwa, while similar
in Gwoza, Pulka and Ngala.
3%9%
88%
< 25% >25% <50% >50%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
No roof damage
Roof damaged
43%
19%
19%
8%
5%
2%
4%
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
NGALA
GWOZA
PULKA
DIKWA
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Yes
No
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 29
PRESENCE OF KITHCENS
The presence of a proper functioning
kitchen was more of an issue than that
of latrines. Almost half of the assessed
HHs did not have a functioning kitchen
(47%). 60% of families in Dikwa did
not have a kitchen, while the
percentage is 50 in both Pulka and
Gwoza. In Ngala 30% does not have a
kitchen.
AVAILABLE RECOURCES FOR REHABILITATION
Apart from land (63%), the other important material families have in possession for rehabilitation is
bricks and blocks (11%) and roofing materials (6%) and timber (6%).
5 families reported having nothing.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Yes
No
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Nothing
Roofing materials(Zinc / AL sheet)
Wall materials(Bricks/ blocks)
Joinery
Timber
Tools
Cement
63%
6%
3%
6%
5%11%
6%
0%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 30
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS :
ACCESS TO OTHER SERVICES
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 31
DRINKING WATER
Majority of the population interviewed in this assessment (71%) get the water for drinking purposes from
boreholes or hand pumps, while 24% use wells. However, people do not use river water for drinking.
WATER FOR DOMESTIC USE
When it comes to the source of water for domestic use, majority use boreholes / hand-pumps as well,
followed closely by wells.
In Gwoza majority of the families use wells, while in all the other locations borehole/ hand-pumps are the
major source of water.
DISTANCE FROM WATER SOURCE
The distance from the source of water did not seem to be an issue from the survey results. The majority
(29%) said they could access the water source in less than 5 minutes, Only 21% reported having to spend
more than half an hour to access water. In Dikwa, the majority of the families had to spend more than
half an hour to access water, while in Ngala the majority required over 20 minutes but below 30 minutes.
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Borehole / Handpump
Well
Stream
River
Other
0% 50% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Borehole / Handpump
Damn
River
Well
Others 71%
0%0%
24%
5%
71%
23%
0%0%6%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 32
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
When asked if they have received any assistance from humanitarian agencies so far, 53% reported
having received some form of assistance. The percentage was highest in Dikwa (82%). For Ngala, Gwoza
and Pulka was less than half of the population who had received humanitarian assistance. The types of
assistance received are food items and cash from WFP, Government and Mercy Corps.
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
Yes 227 52 163 85
No 44 75 188 156
WFP and Mercy Corps (food)
WFP Food Item, cash, by WFP and Government
Food Item, by WFP and SIF
29%
10%
18%
22%
21%5 mins or less
6 to 10 mins
11 to 20 mins
21 to 30 mins
Over 30 mins
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
53%
47%
Yes No
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Yes
No
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 33
MARKETS
An overall majority of 93% reported having a functional market nearby. The parts that did not have
access to market belong mostly to Gwoza, while all families in Pulka reported having markets around.
Majority of the families reported going to the market by foot (45%). Bicycles are the second most used
(26%) followed by Kekes (three wheelers, 15%). 2% reported using donkeys (in Ngala and Pulka).
77% of the families reported that they could access the market in less than hour, while for 11% it takes
hours and for 12% it may even take up to days (reported in Dikwa).
75% 80% 85% 90% 95% 100%
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Yes
No
93%
7%
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
By foot
By Keke
By trucks/ cars /pick-ups
By bicycle
By motorcycle
45%
15%2%
26%
8%4%
0 100 200 300
DIKWA
PULKA
GWOZA
NGALA
Days
Hours
Less than an hour 77%
11%
12%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 34
AVAILABILITY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Of the HHs that reported having access to markets, only 590 said that construction materials were
available at the market, which is 60% of the sample size. The below table shows the type of construction
materials reported to be available by LGAs, as well as the number and percentage of HHs having access
to markets with construction materials. Gwoza reported the lowest number of construction material
available, followed by Ngala, both of which are less than 50%.
DIKWA PULKA GWOZA NGALA
HHs reporting availability 235 126 112 117
Percentage reporting availability 89.30% 99.20% 31.90% 48.50%
Type of construction material avaialble Timber Timber Timber Timber
Zinc Sheet
Zinc Sheet
Zinc Sheet
Zinc Sheet
Cement Cement Cement Cement
Nails Nails Nails Nails
Blocks Blocks Blocks
Paint Iron bars Paint
Tools Tools
AVAILABILITY OF SKILLED/ SEMI-SKILLED LABOUR
76.9%of the respondents confirmed that there were masons and carpenters available in the community in
various degrees.
The most commonly cited daily rate for masons were 2,500 NGN per day, while the second most
frequently cited was 2,000 NGN. For carpenters, the most cited daily rate was 2,000 NGN, followed by
the second most which was 3,000 NGN.
The following tables show the different rates reported in different LGAs for both masons and carpenters.
It is evident from the table that the rates in Pulka and Ngala are on the lower side, Dikwa in the middle
range and Gwoza on the higher range.
MASON
Daily Rate Times mentioned Areas/ LGAs
500 3 Pulka
800 7 Pulka Ngala
900 10 Ngala
950 11 Ngala
1,000 40 Pulka Ngala
1,500 36 Pulka Ngala Dikwa
1,800 16 Dikwa
2,000 134 Pulka Ngala Dikwa
2,500 329 Pulka Ngala Dikwa Gwoza
3,000 84 Pulka Gwoza
3,500 63 Gwoza
4,000 10 Gwoza
4,500 1 Gwoza
5,000 1 Gwoza
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 35
CARPENTER
Daily Rate Times mentioned Areas/ LGAs
800 5 Pulka
900 3 Ngala
1,000 60 Pulka Ngala
1,500 62 Pulka Ngala Dikwa
1,800 132 Dikwa
2,000 191 Pulka Ngala Dikwa Gwoza
2,500 127 Pulka Ngala Gwoza
3,000 134 Pulka Ngala Gwoza
3,500 8 Gwoza
4,000 10 Gwoza
4,500 4 Gwoza
5,000 1 Gwoza
AVAILABILITY OF FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS
None of the respondents reported having any financial service providers in the assessed areas.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 36
RECOMMENDATIONS
AND COMPARISON WITH ADAMAWA
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 37
Recommendations
The rehabilitation of a house, either entire or partial, represents a significant step in terms of assisting
conflict-affected families overcome the trauma associated to a conflict. Perceived with a protection role,
durable shelter solutions is a key element which influences an affected family’s choices for long term or
permanent stay. Minimum adequate standards can enable families to focus on other areas of rebuilding
their lives. Furthermore, taking one step towards achieving durable shelter solutions promote the
involvement of the community and accelerate the process of recovery.
Although majority of the respondents from this assessment reported receiving some sort of humanitarian
assistance, no shelter assistance was mentioned, highlighting the huge gap in shelter intervention in return
areas. Since the overwhelming majority of the population intends to stay at their current houses for long
term, more emphasis needs to be put on providing durable shelter solutions in the coming year.
TYPE OF INTERVENTION:
- For more durable solutions, the two methods that are being used by humanitarian agencies in
other areas are: a) Rental Subsidy, and b) Transitional shelter kit with cash grant
- A very small portion of the total affected population is renting accommodation which is again
confined to certain areas, mostly urban / peri-urban (in the scope of this assessment, only 1%).
While support with rental subsidy is important, a much broader focus should be oriented towards
the rehabilitation of the existing damaged houses.
- The transitional shelter kit of the Shelter Working Group
(https://www.sheltercluster.org/nigeria/documents/nigeria-transitional-shelter-kit-contents) is
considered a potential response to these kind of rehabilitation works to be carried out, containing
CGI sheets, plain GI sheets, different sizes of timber and nails and an assortment of tools, to be
supplemented by a cash grant. This can be a good start for basic repair.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 38
THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR REHABILITATION:
For the rehabilitation works, the following should be the priority:
- 1) When going towards the path of more durable solutions, Roof Construction should be
prioritized. The absence of a roof results in quicker decay and destruction of the remaining
structure. Following the fulfilment of this primary condition, the building should then be retrofitted
to the structure to ensure appropriate safety of inhabitants.
- 2) Care has to be taken so that at least One Core Room or Two Core Rooms of the living area
is properly enclosed and covered. This might include partial retrofitting of the walls, partial
masonry reconstruction, plastering parts of walls / floors, installing doors and windows, etc. These
rooms should provide appropriate space according to the composition of the core family.
- The package does not allow for major rehabilitation but enables repairing partial elements of
heavily damaged houses, especially considering the fact that majority of the families live in
compounds that contain many rooms. However, the initial repairs enables families to live within the
enclosed areas of the homes despite other damages to the structure. This allows families to carry
out further repairs in the future of the remaining area, according to their socio-economic position
and at the time most suited to their recovery process.
- Thorough and detailed market assessment and assessment of financial service providers need
to be conducted before intervening with any Cash Based Intervention to the affected community.
The presence of Financial Service Providers is non existing in the assessed wards of the target
LGAs with no body reporting access to any FSP. The presence of markets is more prevalent (93%
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 39
reporting access to market), however with varying degrees of construction material availability,
which has a direct impact on the rehabilitation efforts.
- Only 2.74% of the population is involved in the construction industry (either as a carpenter
or a mason), indicating that the huge majority of the affected families will need to employ skilled
/ semi-skilled labor for carrying out rehabilitation works. This implies a portion of the cash grant
will be used for this purpose. In addition, there are families with different vulnerabilities, who
might need additional support in terms of labor. This also indicates the level of technical support
needed.
- The daily rate for skilled labor varies in the different LGAs and wards, which needs to be kept in
consideration, along with the fact that the price of construction materials also vary widely (for
example, the cost of a bag of 50 kg cement is 700 NGN in Maiduguri compared to 3,500 NGN
in Pulka).
- HLP issues does not come across as a hindrance, at least from the findings of this assessment and
in the assessed areas, as majority of the houses are inhabited by the owners. The houses are also
mostly under private ownership. While more than a quarter possess documents related to
ownership, majority do not due to the various reasons but mostly due to the fact that a formal
documentation process is not in place and verbal acknowledgement / inheritance is the standard
procedure for establishing ownership of properties. In case the resident cannot provide with a
formal document, approval from the community leader and representatives of the community in a
written form should suffice for proof of ownership in this context.
- Discussions need to be initiated based on further assessments carried out after piloting the
transitional shelter kit as to the contents of the in-kind package as well as the amount for cash
grant. For example, since majority of the houses in the assessed areas are either mud houses or
mud-brick houses, brick making molds can be part of the in-kind package, with training as a
complementary guide. Also, the cash grant can be customized according to LGAs depending on
the price of construction materials.
- Different packages for Borno and Adamawa should be recommended after piloting the sector
recommended package.
- Efforts should be made to synergize shelter response with other sectors in order to ensure that
the conditions for long-term stay are in place. Rehabilitating houses alone does not guarantee
adequate standards for returning life to normal if other parameters are not in place for
maintaining one’s livelihoods, health, education, etc.
IOM Shelter Needs Assessment in Return Areas: BORNO State
Page 40
MAJOR DIFFERENCES – BORNO AND ADAMAWA:
Major differences noticed in Borno in comparison with Adamawa that are relevant for rehabilitation
efforts:
- The average household size in the assessed areas of Borno turned out to be higher than that of
Adamawa (9.25 against 8.81)
- The percentage of IDPs in Borno turned out to be slightly higher (6%) than that in Adamawa (5%).
- When it comes to the length of stay at current location and the intention to stay, the people who
have stayed for less than a year and wants to stay less than a year is higher in Borno than
Adamawa
- The percentage of population engaged in construction trade in Borno (2.74%) is higher than that
in Adamawa (1%).
- Effect on livelihoods is more noticeable in Borno. Number of families whose livelihoods were highly
affected by the crisis in Borno (79%) is higher than in Adamawa (52%)
- There are less people renting in Borno (1%) than in Adamawa (4%).
- 9% of the assessed families in Adamawa were not living in the same house, while in Borno 43 %
of the families were not living in the same houses.
- Composition of Typical Houses –
-
Item Borno Adamawa Remarks
Floor Concrete and
Compact Mud
Concrete and
Compact Mud
High percentage of no floors noticed in
Adamawa (31%), while in Borno it was
only 6%
Frame Timber and
Concrete Column
Timber Use of concrete columns more prevalent
in the assessed areas of Borno
Wall Cement blocks and
Mud Bricks
Mud brick Use of cement blocks more prevalent in
the assessed areas of Borno
Roof Iron/ Zinc Sheets Iron/ Zinc Sheets
- Damage categories – almost all houses in Borno turned out to be category 4
- Roof damage – 57% have over 50% damaged roof in Adamawa while in Borno 88% have more
than half of their roof uprooted
- No habitable rooms – in Adamawa (24%) reported having no habitable rooms currently while in
Borno the percentage is high, 43%
- Humanitarian assistance – 41% in Adamawa reported receiving some form of assistance
compared to 53% in Borno
- Access to markets – in Adamawa (96%) while in Borno (93%)
- Availability of skilled labours – 83% in Adamawa and in Borno 76.9%
- There are no financial service providers in the assessed areas in Borno whereas in Adamawa
22% reported having access to FSPs.