3.8.2. Refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs

3.8.2. Refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs

UNHCR indicated that by the end of 2024, Nigeria hosted over 127 000 refugees and asylum-seekers from 41 countries, with 19 % in settlements and 81 % in host communities, along with 3.5 million IDPs.1233 According to UNHCR, the country maintained strong protection standards for refugees, offering access to jobs, education, healthcare, and social services; some states integrated refugees into social registers and development plans and allocated land for agricultural activities to promote economic inclusion.1234 The same source indicated that refugees in Nigeria enjoy various rights, such as access to education for refugee children, freedom of movement and the right to live and work, although they occasionally face challenges like employment discrimination.1235 48.41 % of refugees and asylum seekers were employed at the end of 2024.1236

UNHCR indicated that Nigeria has not incorporated into domestic law the Kampala Convention,1237 a regional instrument for the protection of IDPs.1238 However, Nigeria has an IDP policy, which is aligned with the Kampala Convention, to assist IDPs.1239 The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), a website of information and analysis on food insecurity created by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of State, indicated that in the Northwest and Central states, most IDPs lived in makeshift camps and worked mostly in menial jobs to earn a limited income; others resorted to begging, prostitution and foraging.1240 According to FEWS Net, in the North-East, the purchasing power among displaced households has plummeted due to increasing staple food prices and high reliance on market purchases.1241 At the same time, growing competition for income-generating opportunities is pushing more households into urban areas, where they continue to face significant consumption gaps.1242 Some households engage in limited agricultural labour to earn limited income and increase food access.1243

In 2024, Boko Haram activity in the border between Nigeria and Cameroon led to the displacement into Adawama state of over 27 000 asylum-seekers; Nigerian authorities granted a three-year Temporary Protection Status (TPS) to over 10 000 claimants, and a two-year TPS to over 4 000 claimants.1244

UNHCR indicated that in Benue and other southern states, the limited presence of UN agencies and humanitarian actors hindered protection delivery to Cameroonian refugees and IDPs as access remained difficult due to insecurity, poor roads, mountainous terrains, and limited resources, worsened by floods. Additionally, economic inflation in 2024 reduced purchasing power and affected project delivery. The same source indicated that the proportion of people that received cash transfers and/or non-food items in 2024 was 35.71 % among IDPs and 47.84 % among refugees and asylum seekers.1245 Additionally, 69 443 IDPs and 55 855 refugees and asylum seekers received cash assistance, an overall increase of 85 % from 2023 (from 34 000 people in 2023 to over 63 000 in 2024). Around 58 700 IDPs and 32 500 refugees and asylum seekers received non-food items.1246 UNHCR indicated that the proportion in 2024 of people with a bank account among IDPs was 0.42 % and refugees and asylum seekers, 29.22 %.1247

UNHCR indicated that in 2024 the proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered with a civil authority was 29.7 % for IDPs and 40.23 % for refugees and asylum seekers, and that the proportion of people with legally recognised identity documents or credentials was 51.78 % for IDPs and 46.01 % for refugees and asylum seekers.1248 About 94 % of returnees in 2024 had legally recognised identity documents.1249 As of December 2024, the government issued around 126 000 civil status documents in the North-East, including 52 000 birth certificates, 37 000 national identity cards, as well as marriage, divorce, and death certificates.1250 In the South-South region, around 1 950 refugees were enrolled in state social registers, granting them access to services such as the Nigerian Identification Number (NIN) and bank accounts.1251 In Benue state, over 39 000 IDPs were assisted with civil registration status; however, only about 13 000 certificates could be issued due to technical issues with digital registration.1252 UNHCR indicated that the proportion of refugees and asylum seekers undergoing asylum procedures who have access to legal representation was 84.18 %.1253 The same source noted, however, that the proportion of people undergoing asylum procedures who have access to an effective appeal mechanism after first instance rejection of their claim was 0.3 %.1254