Raids and severe weather events force 737,073 to flee in North-West region, according to IOM report.

The International Organisation for Migration has revealed that a staggering 737,073 individuals are internally displaced across Nigeria's North-West, with a whopping 84 per cent of them, or approximately 620,000 people, having been displaced due to armed banditry and kidnapping.

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In a press conference held in Katsina on Friday, IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Sharon Dimanche, presented these figures, highlighting the dire humanitarian and security situation in the region, with Katsina State alone accounting for 180,938 internally displaced persons.

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Neighbouring Zamfara has been hit even harder, with a total of 261,995 internally displaced persons, according to Dimanche, who participated in the media engagement virtually.

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IOM has recorded a significant number of returnees across the North-West, with almost 147,000 individuals returning, including more than 37,000 in Katsina, although Dimanche cautioned that returnees must be able to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity for their return to be considered a durable solution.

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Dimanche emphasized that the return of displaced persons should not be viewed as a simple solution, but rather as a complex issue that requires careful consideration of the returnees' ability to stay and rebuild their lives in their home communities.

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She stressed that the question is not just whether people have returned, but whether they can stay, rebuild their lives, and feel safe again, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing displacement.

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Dimanche noted that the situation in the North-West is not just a regional issue, but a national one, affecting food production, livelihoods, education, access to basic services, local economies, social cohesion, and ultimately, Nigeria's wider stability and development.

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Insecurity remains the primary driver of displacement in the region, although climate-related disasters are increasingly contributing to population movements, with more than 138,000 people displaced in Katsina between January 2025 and January 2026.

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Of these displacements, nearly 72,000 were linked to floods, heavy rainfall, or windstorms, while almost 60,000 were caused by armed banditry and kidnapping, according to Dimanche.

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Dimanche urged stakeholders to take a holistic view of displacement, recognizing that affected families often experience similar consequences regardless of the cause, whether it be violence or climate disasters.

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A family's experience of displacement is not categorized, she said, as the consequences of displacement, such as loss of livelihoods, children out of school, fear, and uncertainty, can be very similar regardless of the reason for displacement.

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Across the North-West and North-Central regions combined, the assessed number of internally displaced persons declined by nearly five per cent between October 2025 and February 2026, while the number of returnees increased by almost five per cent, a development that Dimanche described as encouraging.

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However, she warned that returning home without adequate security and basic services could expose communities to renewed displacement, emphasizing that a return is not automatically a durable solution.

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Dimanche identified peacebuilding and early warning systems as critical tools for preventing conflicts from escalating into violence and displacement, commending the Federal and state governments for their leadership and collaboration with IOM.

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The European Union's support through the Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience Programme, being implemented in Katsina and Zamfara states, was also acknowledged by Dimanche, who noted that the programme aims to strengthen peacebuilding, early warning, and community resilience.

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IOM Head of Sub-Office, North-West and Programme Manager, Katsina, Jean Nahesi, explained that the 737,073 displacement figure was generated through IOM's Displacement Tracking Matrix programme, with about 620,000 people across the North-West having been displaced by banditry.

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Nahesi highlighted the significant needs of displaced persons, with 74 per cent of assessed IDP locations requiring shelter and 89 per cent reporting inadequate sanitation facilities, posing a major challenge to their safety and well-being.

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Displacement has resulted in a range of negative consequences, including loss of livelihoods and agricultural production, increased food insecurity and vulnerability, social fragmentation, and weakened community resilience, according to Nahesi.

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Other challenges affecting peacebuilding and humanitarian programming in the North-West include weakened social cohesion and trust between communities and institutions, climate-related shocks, competition over natural resources, and limited engagement of faith-based organisations in structured peacebuilding efforts.

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The CPCRR programme has established 80 Community Peace and Resilience Committees across Katsina and Zamfara states and trained 1,700 community members and stakeholders on conflict prevention, early warning, and early response, according to Nahesi.

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Eleven early warning and transhumance flow monitoring reports have also been published during the period, providing critical information for stakeholders working to address displacement and promote peacebuilding in the region.

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According to the latest IOM figures, the number of displaced persons in each state is as follows: Katsina, 180,938; Kano, 10,461; Zamfara, 261,995; Sokoto, 176,099; and Kaduna, 107,580.