Digital humanitarianism and the politics of visibility: algorithmic borders, displaced bodies, and the digital agency of youth in Nigeria

Abstract This study explores the intersection of digital humanitarianism, algorithmic governance, and displaced agency in Nigeria, focusing on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Borno and Benue States. Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach—including semi-structured interviews and digital ethnography, the research critically examines how displaced youths (aged 18–35) engage with biometric systems, aid platforms, and mobile communication technologies. Fieldwork was conducted in four IDP camps: Gubio Road and Muna Garage (Borno), and Daudu II and Abagena (Benue). Findings reveal that digital infrastructures both facilitate and restrict humanitarian access. Fieldwork was conducted in four IDP camps: Gubio Road and Muna Garage (Borno), and Daudu II and Abagena (Benue). Findings reveal that digital infrastructures both facilitate and restrict humanitarian access. Technologies like biometric registration and predictive aid targeting function as algorithmic borders—non-territorial mechanisms that regulate visibility and determine who is recognized within humanitarian systems. While these systems often exclude individuals lacking digital literacy or documentation, displaced youths in both states demonstrate cultural resilience by repurposing tools such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and TikTok for resistance, information sharing, and identity formation. The study is grounded in the dual theoretical frameworks of algorithmic governmentality, algorithmic borders, and infrastructures of agency, showing how digital systems operate simultaneously as tools of surveillance and platforms for empowerment. Comparative insights indicate greater digital optimism and adaptation among youth in Benue, contrasted with deeper skepticism and surveillance anxiety in Borno. This research contributes to debates in surveillance studies, humanitarian governance, and displacement by urging a rethinking of digital humanitarianism. It calls for inclusive, participatory digital infrastructures that protect rights, recognize agency, and move beyond extractive datafication in crisis-affected communities.