Picking Up the Pieces: Social Capital, Psycho-Social Support and Livelihood Recovery of Displaced Populations in Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the role of social capital on livelihood outcomes of households forcibly displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria. Drawing from in-depth interviews of 21 respondents and a cross-sectional survey of 810 household heads across 12 locations in Northeast Nigeria, the study finds that social capital provides a channel of critical psycho-social support for households. Further, the results of the structural-equation modelling indicate that bridging-linking social capital has a strong positive impact on livelihood outcomes, while the impact of bonding social capital on livelihood outcomes is partially mediated by resilience. The study contributes to recent conversations on the imperative of a triple-nexus strategy by highlighting the unique roles that social capital can play in complementary humanitarian, developmental and peace-building programming, especially in protracted crises and contexts of forced displacement where short-term material and financial interventions may not be adequate. The paper also offers practical and policy recommendations and suggestions for future research on operationalisation of social capital in protracted crises.