Nigeria faces complex humanitarian challenges amid rising internal displacement and hosting over 140,000 refugees, mainly from Cameroon, and constituting 3.5% of the world’s 117 million forcibly displaced persons. With 3.6 million IDPs, largely due to insurgency and conflict, the country’s socio-economic landscape is further strained by climate-related disasters and economic instability. Nigeria is disproportionately affected by structural unemployment, high inflation, and food insecurity mostly on displaced and vulnerable populations. Despite macroeconomic reforms and ongoing reintegration efforts, many returnees continue to lack basic services and remain in displacement. Nigeria’s approach to protection and integration is guided by international frameworks such as the Kampala Convention and the Global Refugee Forum pledges, emphasizing access to services, civil documentation, and the inclusion of displaced populations in national development plans.

In response to reduced donor funding and increasing needs, UNHCR and the Nigerian government are shifting toward protection-based, sustainable solutions, aligning with the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. Strategic interventions such as livelihoods programs, vocational training, and settlement integration are being scaled in collaboration with development partners and the private sector. UNHCR’s vision focuses on enhancing self-reliance, expanding cash-based assistance, and embedding displacement responses within national systems, including education, healthcare, and renewable energy. Partnerships with IFIs, private actors, and government institutions will be critical to achieving long-term solutions, SDG alignment, and reduced aid dependency.