West & North Africa
Nigeria
Nigeria, with an estimated population of over 216 million people and comprising more than 250 ethnic groups, confronts significant humanitarian-development challenges, especially in its North-east and North-west regions. The federal republic, partitioned into 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja, faces regional instability, presence of non-state armed groups, escalating intercommunal conflicts, extreme weather events, and precarious socio-economic situation.
Displacement trends
Source: | DRC Foresight
Displacement Trends
Definitions
EDPs: Refugees under UNHCR’s mandate
IDPs: Internally displaced persons
Asylum seekers: People whose claims for refugee status have not yet been determined
Stateless: People not considered as nationals by any State
HST: People living in Host Communities
OIP: Others in need of International Protection
OOC: Others of Concern
Forecast
DRC forecasts are based on a machine learning tool that has been developed to predict forced displacement (IDPs, refugees and asylum seekers) at the national level 1-3 years into the future.
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Why we are there
Insurgent activities in the north, including conflicts involving Boko Haram’s splinter groups, ethnic groups’ clashes and resurgence of banditry and kidnappings, have led to massive population displacements and heightened humanitarian and protection needs. As of December 2023, IOM reported a total of 2,305,335 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-East and 1,075,893 IDPs in the North-West and North-Central regions.
The lack of economic and livelihood opportunities, marked deterioration in food security, public health emergencies and limited access to essential basic services, have all negatively impacted the well-being and further undermined the resilience of IDPs, returnees, and host communities in Nigeria.
What we do
Since 2015, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been actively engaged in addressing humanitarian challenges, making a positive impact in over 30 Local Government Areas across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. DRC's interventions in areas like protection, shelter, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), humanitarian mine action, economic recovery, peacebuilding, have been crucial for IDPs, returnees, and host communities
In 2024 following a round of assessment conducted in 2023, the DRC expanded its operations to the North-West, Nigeria (Zamfara and Sokoto States), where inter-ethnic conflict triggered internal displacement and deteriorated the humanitarian context.
The degrading security situation has been further convoluted by a striking wave of kidnapping, illicit mining, cattle rustling, and village raids, particularly impacting the states of Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina.
The operational context in northeast and northwest Nigeria remains challenging, as the ongoing conflict impedes conflict-affected communities’ access to the limited basic services that are available, and it also impedes DRC and other humanitarian actors from getting access to persons of concern.
Working in collaboration with
UNHCR
Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
Contact
Yann
Faivre
Executive Director West & North Africa and Latin America
Victor Manuel
Velasco Corrochano
Country Director