The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, has said that Nigeria presently hosts 3.2 million displaced persons, including some 82,000 refugees , representing a 9 per cent increase from last year.
This was contained in a UNHCR World Refugee Statement, signed by Ms. Chansa Kapaya UNHCR Representative Nigeria, June 20, 2022.
It, however, revealed that In Nigeria, displacement has been growing rapidly since 2018, with 500,700 people newly displaced during 2021.
Kapaya further noted that Nigeria also hosts an additional 6,900 refugees and asylum seekers from other countries. She explained that the asylum seekers are predominantly from Syria, Niger, DRC, Turkey CAR, Lebanon mainly settled in urban cities in Nigeria, like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Ogun.
She said: “In the West and Central Africa region, there were 1.6 million new displacements in 2021.
“These increased movements were mainly driven by escalating conflict in Burkina Faso and Nigeria, where fighting continued between government forces and non-state armed groups.
“In Nigeria, displacement has been growing rapidly since 2018, with 500,700 people newly displaced during 2021.
“Nigeria currently has 3.2 million Internally displaced persons and 84,000 refugees. Most of the refugees in Nigeria come predominately from SW and NW regions of Cameroon affected by the conflict between the government and activists calling for session of Anglophone regions.
“The 77,000 Cameroonians are hosted mainly in 4 States in the South; in Cross River, Taraba, Benue and Akwa Ibom they began arriving as of 2017 to date.
“Nigeria also hosts an additional 6,900 refugees and asylum seekers from other countries, but predominantly from Syria, Niger, DRC, Turkey CAR, Lebanon mainly settled in urban cities in Nigeria, like Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Ogun
“Nigeria is party to the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 protocol as well as the 1969 OAU Convention and other regional instruments which mandate signatories to provide protection to a person who seeks refuge(asylum) owing to a well-founded fear for his life and to seek durable solutions to their problems.
“Nigeria has fulfilled her international obligations and has also reaffirmed her commitment and exceptional solidarity with refugees by her commitment to the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) principles of refugee inclusion and responsibility sharing.”
