Nigeria

07 April 2026

Security incidents increased by 27% between January–March 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 in northeastern Nigeria's BAY states (Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe), with humanitarian conditions worsening from escalating insecurity, violence, climate shocks, economic decline, and market disruptions linked to access constraints. Since January 2026, violence has killed or injured about 700 people and displaced over 12,000. The BAY states host over 900,000 IDPs, who are living in overcrowded and unsafe conditions, including frequent fire incidents. Facilities are overwhelmed, including an IOM transit centre hosting nearly 11,000 people, almost double its capacity, increasing the risk of diseases such as acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, and other communicable diseases. Food insecurity affects 4.8 million people at Crisis (IPC Phase 3) levels or worse, including over 600,000 facing Emergency (CH4), projected to worsen between June–September. Urgent needs include food, shelter kits, WASH, protection, and health services. (OCHA 03/04/2026, OCHA 17/03/2026, HumAngle 27/01/2026)

24 November 2025

Two major abductions in mid-November 2025 underscore deteriorating security in North Central and North West Nigeria. On 17 November, armed attackers abducted 25 schoolgirls from a boarding facility in Kebbi state. Five days later, gunmen seized approximately 315 students and 12 staff from St Mary's Catholic School in Niger state – one of the largest abductions in recent years. Both incidents occurred in remote areas with limited state presence, reflecting organised armed groups' expanding territorial reach across North Central and North West Nigeria. These abductions have severely disrupted education access. Authorities in affected states have temporarily closed schools as a precautionary measure, affecting thousands of learners adding to others already facing the closure of 589 other schools nationwide from insecurity. Rising violence continues to undermine children's safe access to education and erode confidence in state protection. (ECHO 18/11/2025, CNN 21/11/2025, PI 18/11/2025)

23 September 2025

The 2025 lean season (May–October) in northern Nigeria has been the harshest in recent years, compounding existing pressures. Around 1.2 million displaced people face heightened risks as food shortages, flooding, and constrained assistance drive hunger, malnutrition, and potentially harmful coping strategies. Women and children are disproportionately affected, with notable increases in child marriage, child labour, and gender-based violence. Over 72,000 people have lost vital civil documentation, while rising evictions linked to unpaid rent erode already fragile livelihoods. Searching for food, water, and fuel has exposed families to abductions and attacks. Explosive ordnance incidents have nearly doubled over the past two years, with more than half of casualties recorded since May. Cross-border movement has emerged in Adamawa, with Nigerians searching for food in Cameroon. Adamawa, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara states remain the epicentres of protection concerns, particularly in ten Local Government Areas facing the most acute crises. (UNHCR 18/09/2025, FEWS NET 29/08/2025)

09 September 2025

On 5 September 2025, a suspected Boko Haram group attacked Darajamal village, Borno state, targeting a recently resettled community. At least 60 people were killed, 28 houses burnt, and nearly 500 people displaced. The assault destroyed newly built housing units meant to host 3,000 displaced people returning from Bama town’s IDP camp. The attack highlights how persistent insecurity continues to jeopardise durable solutions for displaced people. (AJ 06/09/2025, DW 06/09/2025, ECHO 08/09/2025)

02 September 2025

Floods during the 2025 lean season (June–August) affected 64,649 people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, displacing 13,847, killing 53, injuring 354, and causing widespread shelter losses. The floods submerged farmlands spanning 8,716 hectares, undermining food security. The worst-hit local government areas were Damboa, Potiskum, and Yola South, resulting in urgent needs for shelter, food, and health. (OCHA 02/09/2025, OCHA 29/07/2025, ECHO 28/07/2025)

22 July 2025

Malnutrition is rising sharply across Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states as the 2025 lean season deepens existing vulnerabilities. Around 4.6 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity between June–September, with over 600,000 children under five at immediate risk of severe acute malnutrition (its most life-threatening form). Health facilities are reporting a surge in admissions, with one International Rescue Committee clinic registering a 178% increase in inpatient cases between March–May. Drivers involve a combination of factors, including depleted household food stocks, soaring food prices, inflation, currency depreciation, conflict-related displacement, and significant humanitarian funding cuts. Risks of seasonal diseases, including malaria and pneumonia, and waterborne diseases such as cholera, especially among children, significantly worsen the situation. Humanitarian access remains constrained in conflict-affected areas, limiting scale-up efforts. In April, the Government declared a state of emergency on food security, highlighting the severity and national scope of the crisis. (IRC 07/07/2025, IFRC 07/07/2025, OCHA 10/07/2025)

22 July 2025

On 18 July 2025, bandits attacked the Kairu community in Zamfara state, killing six and abducting over 100 people. The two-hour raid triggered mass displacement, with thousands fleeing. Zamfara remains a hotspot for armed violence, with frequent kidnappings and attacks disrupting livelihoods, farming, and safe movement across the region. (Reuters 18/07/2025, AJ 19/07/2025)