UNHCR Records 426,448 Nigerian Refugees In Three Neighbouring Countries

UNHCR data shows that 426,448 Nigerians were registered as refugees in Niger, Cameroon and Chad in the latest country-by-country figures for the regional crisis.

The total is a snapshot of people recorded in the three neighbouring countries, not a count of new crossings in one period. The data lists Niger as host to 278,077 Nigerian refugees, Cameroon to 126,320 and Chad to 22,051.

The Niger and Cameroon figures are dated 31 July 2026, while Chad’s figure is dated 30 June 2026. The UN agency’s Nigeria Situation portal identifies the three populations as refugees from Nigeria and lists the data sources as governments and UNHCR.

The figures underline the regional dimension of displacement linked to the long-running crisis in north-eastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin. They also show why humanitarian planning in the region involves host communities and authorities beyond Nigeria’s borders.

THISDAY, which reported the combined figure on 31 August, also cited the UNHCR data. The underlying UNHCR country breakdown was independently checked for the draft.

Sources: UNHCR, THISDAY