Forcibly displaced people in Nigeria hit 3.7 million in April 2025 – Report

The number of forcibly displaced people in Nigeria reached 3.7 million as of April 2025, according to a new report by UNHCR Africa.

The figure places Nigeria among the worst-affected countries across West and Central Africa, where around 20 million people remain displaced due to conflict, insecurity and extreme weather events.

The figures, contained in UNHCR Africa’s West and Central Africa Regional Trends Report 2026, show that the number of displaced people in the region fell by 4% to 20 million from 20.7 million recorded in April 2025.

However, the decline does not indicate any meaningful easing of displacement pressures across the region, as conflict remains the primary driver of forced migration.

Between January and April 2026 alone, approximately 99,800 new refugees and asylum-seekers were registered across the region. This shows the pace at which fresh displacement continues to occur even as some returns take place in more stable areas.

According to UNHCR Africa, the small reduction in overall displacement numbers is largely attributable to returns in countries where conditions have improved rather than a genuine decline in the forces pushing people from their homes.

The report also said conflict and insecurity remained the primary drivers of displacement across the region.

The agency said nearly 932,000 people across the region are at risk of statelessness at the moment.

The report shows that the vast majority of displaced people across the region, roughly 71%, remain within their own countries, with approximately 14.2 million internally displaced persons recorded as of April 2026.

The overall displacement figure of 20 million represents an almost 13% drop compared to the 23 million recorded at the end of 2024, a decline driven primarily by large-scale returns in specific countries rather than any systemic improvement in the conditions that continue to force people from their homes across the region.

Earlier, in June 2024, Nairametrics reported that the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) revealed that it received $181,646,993 in contributions to support its humanitarian operations in Nigeria and other parts of West and Central Africa.

The agency, which provides protection and assistance to refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons around the world, disclosed the figures in its June report titled “UNHCR Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2025.”

The report also highlighted key developments and funding updates across the region as the organisation continues efforts to address displacement and humanitarian challenges.