Sokoto Leads in IDP Population, Records Above 181,526

By GaskiyaCast

The number of internally displaced persons, IDPs, in Nigeria’s Northwest region rose by 22 per cent within six months, increasing from 650,345 in December 2025 to 793,534 in May 2026, according to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR.

Sokoto recorded the highest increase, with its IDP population more than doubling from 88,562 in February to 181,526 in March 2026. Zamfara also saw a significant rise, adding 74,648 displaced persons to reach 279,224.

The UNHCR attributed the growing displacement crisis to persistent banditry, communal violence and insecurity across the region, which have disrupted livelihoods and forced nearly 1.4 million people from their homes. About 80 per cent of the displaced are living in host communities rather than camps.

While Katsina recorded a 12.6 per cent decline in displacement figures, Kaduna experienced a modest increase. The report also showed that the number of refugees fleeing the Northwest to Niger Republic rose by more than 10,000 between December 2025 and May 2026.

GaskiyaCast findings come amid escalating violence across the Northwest, prompting expanded humanitarian interventions and renewed government efforts to address displacement and insecurity.