Nigeria is hosting more than 142,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 42 countries, alongside over 6.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard M. Doro, has said.
Doro disclosed this while presenting Nigeria’s statement at the 77th Session of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The meeting, which began on October 12, is scheduled to end on October 16, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Janet McDickson Noah, on Tuesday, the minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to refugee protection, the principle of non-refoulement and the provision of asylum to people fleeing persecution.
He said Nigeria had also received more than 24,000 returnees, adding that no case of refoulement, the forced return of people to places where they face persecution or serious danger, had been recorded in the country this year.
Doro said Nigeria maintained a fair and efficient asylum system under the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Act of 2022, while its commitments on statelessness and the Global Compact remained on course.
He also announced that Nigeria domesticated the Kampala Convention in 2026, with states beginning to implement its provisions.
The minister said improved security conditions were creating opportunities for the voluntary return of displaced people, noting that Nigeria had advanced the Digital Gateway initiative in partnership with UNHCR to provide refugees with secure online access to information.
He added that resettlement cities for internally displaced persons had been established in seven locations to support the gradual closure of camps in conditions of safety and dignity.
On refugee repatriation, Doro said more than 7,000 Nigerian refugees had voluntarily returned home this year under tripartite agreements, while another 14,000 Nigerians in Cameroon had registered for return.
He said an agreement covering the voluntary return of 2,000 Nigerians in Niger was being finalised.
The minister expressed appreciation to Cameroon, Chad and Niger for hosting Nigerian refugees, stressing the importance of regional cooperation in addressing displacement.
On local integration, he said former Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees had successfully integrated into Nigerian communities, with some establishing and leading businesses.
He added that refugees in five states were benefiting from land allocations, agricultural inputs and skills training, while a newly established Public-Private Partnership Department of the NCFRMI was helping to reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Doro called on countries to recognise Nigeria’s Convention Travel Documents and facilitate visa access for their holders.
He said the government was also enrolling displaced persons and host communities in the national identity system to improve access to banking, education and social services.
According to him, refugees were being included in state action plans and social registers, while 10 mobile documentation buses would soon be deployed to reach people in remote areas.
The minister, however, warned that host countries could not shoulder the burden of refugee protection alone, calling for increased international burden- and responsibility-sharing.
“Nigeria reaffirmed its five 2023 pledges in December 2025. But no host country can do this alone,” he said.
He urged the international community to expand resettlement opportunities and complementary pathways for refugees, while calling on UNHCR to explore increased funding through partnerships with regional and sub-regional financial institutions, including the African Development Bank and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
Doro also thanked donors for their continued support amid a difficult global funding environment and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with UNHCR.
He congratulated the new UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Dr Barham Salih, on assuming office and pledged Nigeria’s full support.
He also commended the outgoing High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, for his decade of leadership.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, Doro said, remained as relevant as ever, 75 years after its adoption, particularly amid record levels of displacement and shrinking humanitarian resources.
