By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria hosts over 142,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 42 countries, alongside more than 6.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard M. Doro, has said.
Doro disclosed this while delivering Nigeria’s statement at the 77th Session of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Programme in Geneva, Switzerland.
The session, holding from October 12 to 16, 2026, brought together delegates to discuss refugee protection and related humanitarian challenges.
The minister said Nigeria remained committed to refugee protection, the principle of non-refoulement and the provision of asylum to people fleeing persecution.
He noted that the country had received more than 24,000 returnees and maintained a fair and efficient asylum system under the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Act of 2022.
According to him, no case of refoulement has been recorded in Nigeria this year, while the country’s commitments on statelessness and the Global Compact on Refugees remain on course.
Doro also announced that Nigeria domesticated the Kampala Convention in 2026, adding that states across the country had begun implementing its provisions.
He said improved security conditions were creating opportunities for the voluntary return of displaced persons, while Nigeria, in partnership with UNHCR, had advanced the Digital Gateway to provide refugees with secure online access to information.
The minister added that Resettlement Cities for internally displaced persons had been established in seven locations to support the gradual closure of camps while ensuring safety and dignity for affected populations.
On voluntary repatriation, Doro said more than 7,000 Nigerian refugees had returned home this year under tripartite agreements, while another 14,000 in Cameroon had registered to return.
He added that an agreement covering 2,000 Nigerian refugees in Niger was being finalized, while expressing appreciation to Cameroon, Chad and Niger for hosting Nigerian refugees.
The minister said Nigeria was also promoting local integration and self-reliance among refugees, noting that former Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees had integrated into local communities, with some establishing businesses.
He explained that refugees in five states were receiving land, agricultural inputs and skills training, while the newly established Public-Private Partnership Department of the NCFRMI was helping to reduce dependence on humanitarian aid.
Doro further said displaced persons and host communities were being enrolled in the national identity system to improve access to banking, education and social services.
He added that refugees were being included in state action plans and social registers, while 10 mobile documentation buses would soon be deployed to remote areas.
The minister called on countries to recognize Nigeria’s Convention Travel Documents and facilitate visa access for holders.
He said Nigeria had reaffirmed its five pledges made in 2023 in December 2025 but stressed that host countries could not manage the growing refugee burden alone.
Doro therefore urged the international community to strengthen burden- and responsibility-sharing through expanded resettlement opportunities and complementary pathways for refugees.
He also called on UNHCR to explore increased funding through partnerships with regional and sub-regional financial institutions, including the African Development Bank and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
The minister thanked donors for their continued support amid funding constraints and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with UNHCR.
