The number of Internally Displaced Persons in the Northwest geopolitical zone surged by 143,189 persons in six months, a 22 per cent increase, The PUNCH reports.
According to the latest data obtained by our correspondent from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the surge is driven largely by a more than doubling of the IDP count in Sokoto State from December 2025 to May 2026.
Published in late May 2026, the UNHCR Nigeria Forcibly Displaced Populations dashboard shows that the Northwest’s IDP population stood at 793,534, up from 650,345 recorded in the December 2025 dashboard.
The data dashboards are produced jointly by the UNHCR and the Federal Government through the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
It draws on registration records, biometric enrolment data and field assessments conducted across hosting states.
