The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says 737,073 people are internally displaced in Nigeria’s North-West, with about 620,000 (84%) displaced by banditry and kidnapping.
Sharon Dimanche, IOM Chief of Mission, disclosed this at a press briefing in Katsina on Friday, noting that Katsina has 180,938 IDPs and Zamfara 261,995, while about 147,000 returnees have been recorded across the region, including over 37,000 in Katsina.
She warned that return does not automatically mean safety, stressing that displaced persons must be able to rebuild their lives with security, livelihoods, and basic services.
She said, ‘Here in Katsina, we are talking about almost 181,000 people who are displaced. In neighbouring Zamfara, the figure is over 261,000. At the same time, IOM recorded almost 147,000 returnees across the North-West, including more than 37,000 here in Katsina.
‘Some people are being displaced, but some are also trying to return home. And the question is not simply, have they really returned? For me, the real question is, can they stay once they return? Can they rebuild their lives? Can they feel safe again?
‘Because many of you here represent national media networks, I want to make one point very clear: what is happening in the North-West is not simply a regional issue. It is a national issue. It affects food production and livelihoods. It affects education and access to basic services. It also affects local economies and social cohesion and, ultimately, Nigeria’s wider stability and development.’
Dimanche said displacement in the region is driven mainly by insecurity, though climate shocks are also increasing. Between January 2025 and January 2026, over 138,000 people were displaced in Katsina, with about 72,000 due to floods and storms and nearly 60,000 from banditry and kidnapping.
She added that displacement affects livelihoods, education, and social stability, urging stronger prevention through early warning systems and peacebuilding. She also noted a slight decline in IDPs and a rise in returns across the North-West and North-Central regions.
Jean Nahesi, IOM Head of Sub-Office, said the figures were drawn from the organisation’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), adding that 74% of IDP sites need shelter and 89% lack adequate sanitation.
He said displacement had worsened food insecurity, weakened livelihoods, and strained host communities.
Through the EU-supported CPCRR programme, IOM has set up 80 peace committees, trained 1,700 stakeholders, and monitored transhumance movements involving over 2,400 herders and 60,000 livestock.
Latest figures show Zamfara (261,995) has the highest number of IDPs, followed by Katsina (180,938), Sokoto (176,099), Kaduna (107,580), and Kano (10,461), highlighting the scale of the crisis in the North-West.