EXPLAINER: Inside UNHCR’s Report On 64,000 Nigerians Fleeing Insecurity For Niger

What You Need To Know

Nearly 64,000 Nigerians have fled to Niger Republic since January 2026 to escape attacks by Islamist militants and armed criminal gangs, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The latest exodus has pushed the number of Nigerian refugees in Niger to about 327,500, highlighting the scale of a displacement crisis driven by more than a decade of insurgency and banditry across Nigeria’s North-East and North-West.

Although UNHCR has not provided a state-by-state breakdown of the latest arrivals, its previous reports identify Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Kano in the North-West, as well as Borno, Yobe and Adamawa in the North-East, as sources of earlier refugee movements.

Here Is A Timeline

2013–2014: Boko Haram Insurgency Triggers Refugee Flight From North-East

The Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East triggered one of the earliest major waves of Nigerian refugee movements into Niger. Residents of border communities in Borno and neighbouring states fled attacks, killings and the destruction of their communities.

In 2014, attacks on communities around Malam Fatori in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State forced residents across the border into Niger’s Diffa Region.

2019: Bandit Attacks In Sokoto, Zamfara Trigger Fresh Refugee Wave

A new wave of displacement emerged in the North-West in 2019 as armed bandits intensified attacks on communities in Sokoto and Zamfara states.

UNHCR reported in May 2019 that about 20,000 Nigerians had fled to Niger in less than two months, escaping killings, kidnappings and attacks on their communities. Many sought refuge in the Maradi Region.

2020: Fresh Attacks Push North-West Refugee Numbers Above 60,000

The violence continued into 2020, with further attacks forcing thousands across the border.

UNHCR reported that about 23,000 Nigerians crossed into Niger in April 2020 alone, while the number of arrivals since April 2019 had exceeded 60,000. About 95 per cent of the refugees were from Sokoto State, with others coming from Kano, Zamfara and Katsina.

2021: Killings And Kidnappings Intensify Displacement From North-West

Attacks, village raids, killings and kidnappings continued to drive displacement from the North-West in 2021.

UNHCR reported that more than 7,660 Nigerians had fled to Niger’s Maradi Region in the first two months of the year. The region was hosting nearly 100,000 displaced people, including about 77,000 Nigerian refugees, many of them from Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

In November 2021, another 11,500 Nigerians crossed into Niger following attacks in Sokoto and other border communities.

2023: Attacks Around Malam Fatori Sustain Refugee Influx Into Diffa

The security crisis in the North-East continued to push Nigerians into Niger’s Diffa Region. Reports indicated that more than 20,000 Nigerian refugees were living in Diffa, many of whom had fled attacks around Malam Fatori and other communities in the Lake Chad Basin.

2024: More Than 82,000 Nigerians Flee North-West Insecurity To Maradi

The displacement crisis in the North-West remained severe in 2024. UNHCR reported that more than 82,635 Nigerians had fled to Niger’s Maradi Region over the preceding four years because of insecurity.

Armed groups continued to target communities on both sides of the border, with farmers and herders exposed to attacks, killings and kidnappings for ransom.

2026: Nearly 64,000 New Arrivals Deepen Humanitarian Crisis

The latest UNHCR report shows that nearly 64,000 Nigerians have crossed into Niger since January 2026, fleeing attacks by Islamist militants and armed criminal gangs.

The new arrivals have increased the number of Nigerian refugees in Niger to about 327,500. More than 23,000 Nigerians have arrived in the Diffa Region since January, with children accounting for more than two-thirds of the new arrivals. Several hundred Nigerians have also crossed into neighbouring Benin.

Many displaced families are living in makeshift shelters with inadequate food, clean water and healthcare. UNHCR has raised concerns over malnutrition and respiratory infections, while noting that only five per cent of this year’s arrivals have been formally registered.

The agency has appealed for $11.4 million to support displaced people and host communities in Niger, Nigeria and Benin, including $2 million for urgent interventions.

What The Figures Tell Us

The figures point to Nigeria’s North-East and North-West as the epicentres of cross-border displacement into Niger. In the North-East, the prolonged Boko Haram insurgency and attacks by other armed groups have driven residents into Niger’s Diffa Region since 2013.

In the North-West, banditry, killings and mass kidnappings have forced thousands from states such as Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina into the Maradi Region since 2019.

Together, the two regions account for the major historical patterns of refugee movements from Nigeria into Niger, although the scale and causes of displacement have varied over the years.

However, the historical figures do not establish the origins of the 64,000 Nigerians who fled in 2026. UNHCR has yet to provide a state-by-state breakdown of the latest arrivals.