Nigeria: Insecurity Pushes Northwest Displacement Figures To 800,000 — Report

The number of internally displaced persons in Nigeria’s Northwest has risen to nearly 800,000, driven by escalating violence across the region, fresh data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees shows.

According to figures published in the UNHCR Nigeria Forcibly Displaced Populations dashboard — compiled in collaboration with the Federal Government through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons — the IDP population in the zone climbed to 793,534 in May 2026, up from 650,345 in December 2025, representing a 22 per cent increase of 143,189 persons in six months. The data draws on biometric registration, field assessments and contributions from agencies including the Nigeria Immigration Service and the International Organization for Migration.

The sharpest increase was recorded in Sokoto State, where the displaced population more than doubled in a single month, jumping from 88,562 in February 2026 to 181,526 in March — a 105 per cent rise. Zamfara State also recorded a significant increase of 74,648 persons, bringing its total IDP population to 279,224, a 36.5 per cent rise. Together, the two states account for the bulk of the regional increase.

Persistent banditry and communal clashes in Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states have disrupted farming activities, markets and access to basic services, forcing nearly 1.4 million people from their homes across the broader region. About 80 per cent of those displaced are living within host communities rather than in formal camps.

Nationwide, Nigeria’s total displaced population stood at 3,711,314 as of May 2026, representing approximately 3.5 per cent of the global total of 117 million forcibly displaced persons.

Not all states recorded increases. Katsina State saw its IDP population fall by 29,827 — from 235,898 to 206,071 — a 12.6 per cent decrease. In Kaduna State, displacement rose marginally by 4,653, bringing the total to 115,466. Cross-border displacement also worsened, with Nigerian refugees from the Northwest in neighbouring Niger Republic increasing from 258,359 in December 2025 to 268,967 in May 2026.

The humanitarian deterioration follows a sustained surge in armed violence. At least 2,266 people were killed by insurgents and bandits in the first half of 2025 alone, surpassing total fatalities recorded throughout 2024. More than 10,000 deaths have been attributed to attacks across several states since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office, according to available figures.

Security concerns have been compounded by the emergence of the Lakurawa armed group, which operates across borders linking Nigeria, Niger and Mali. The group has been linked to a July 2025 raid on Kwallajiya community in Sokoto State in which several residents were killed. More recently, coordinated bandit attacks struck communities in Zamfara’s Bukkuyum and Tsafe local government areas in April 2026.

In response, the Federal Government — in partnership with the Northwest Governors’ Forum and with support from the United Nations Development Programme — has begun implementing state-level action plans targeting displacement and durable solutions, particularly in Katsina and Zamfara. The IOM has also expanded humanitarian operations into parts of the Northwest, focusing on underserved communities.

In his third anniversary address on 29 May, President Tinubu acknowledged ongoing security challenges while maintaining that progress was being made, assuring Nigerians that security forces were intensifying operations against criminal groups.