West and Central Africa — Nigeria North-West and North-Central Crisis Monthly Dashboard 1 (23 December 2022)

The north-central and north-west geopolitical zones in Nigeria and Maradi Region in Niger have been affected by a multidimensional crisis — rooted in historic ethno-social cleavages —rekindled in 2013 following the degradation of socioeconomic and environmental conditions. The crisis includes long-standing conflict between ethnic and linguistic groups, tensions between nomadic pastoralists (transhumance) and sedentary farmers, attacks by criminal groups on local populations and banditry/hirabah (kidnapping and grand larceny along major highways). These tensions also cross-cut religious cleavages, Tensions over resources and land, exacerbated by climate change, have escalated into communal conflicts that displace significant numbers of people. In recent years, the crisis has spilled over into Niger’s Maradi Region, leading to mass internal displacement in the region.

The crisis has led to the death of an estimated 2,300 people in 2022 (as of 30 June) and triggered significant displacement of populations in the two affected countries. As of 23 December 2022, 1,222,977 individuals have been displaced, including 1,110,369 Internally Displaced Persons (91% of the displaced population), 15,177 former IDP Returnees (1%) and 97,431 Refugees (8% of the displaced population). Eighty-nine per cent of the displaced population (1,087,875 individuals) were located in Nigeria, while 11 per cent resided in Niger (135,102 individuals).