ABSTRACT
This study employs an ethnographic approach to examine and document the changes in cultural practices of displaced persons of the Kanuri ethnic stock, forced out of their original places of habitation as a result of the violent attacks carried out by Boko Haram insurgents, and are accommodated in temporary settlement camps in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. It specifically aims to record changes in the rites of passage that mark the transition from childhood to adulthood for boys and girls, and gender roles in traditional Kanuri society. The study reveals that forced displacement has caused a modification in the performance of these rites and a switch in gender roles among the studied group. Also, the study identifies the limitations of the cultural policy for Nigeria and recommends, among other things, a review of the cultural policy to capture current reality in the country. This will ensure the safeguarding of cultural practices in displacement.
