How War, Displacement and Development Changed My Village

When I visited my village recently, I was struck by how much had changed since 2007. Many buildings now standing did not exist then. Bushes covered much of the road to my family house, farming was limited, and only a few houses were scattered across the area. By 2015, families had begun clearing abandoned land and building homes. On my last visit in September 2026, I could hardly find an empty plot along that road. Land that sold for less than ₦200,000 in 2007 is now said to cost about ₦15 million. I began to think about why so much land was empty while I was growing up. Stories of the civil war and the destruction around Onitsha made me reflect on how conflict can force survivors to rebuild communities from almost nothing. Seeing reports of communities emptied by bandit attacks and Boko Haram violence gives that reflection an even deeper meaning. I hope no generation has to return to abandoned homes and begin life all over again.

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