Rahila Lassa, Abuja
The Nigerian Government says the magnitude of displacements across the globe demands more than just resilience but deeper global solidarity and innovative approaches.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yakubu Adam Kofar-Mata, stated this at the 76th Session of the Executive Committee Meeting of High Commissioners’ Programme, in Geneva, Switzerland.
He explained that the international community, including humanitarian bodies, had become overstretched financially and in human resource capacity, a situation compounded by the redirection of global donor support to other priority areas.
This development had left vulnerable populations increasingly dependent on host states and communities already burdened with numerous challenges, he said.
Kofar-Mata noted that although Nigeria remains committed to protecting and assisting refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, internally displaced persons, and stateless individuals in line with its international obligations and national priorities, there is an urgent need for the global community and humanitarian partners to strengthen collective action.
According to him, attention must be directed towards enhancing collaborative partnerships that promote shared responsibility and ensure timely, people-centred responses.
“Investing in digital innovation, building national and local capacities, encouraging responsibility-sharing, advancing durable solutions that foster education, livelihoods, and social cohesion, and enabling displaced populations to contribute meaningfully to host societies,” he said.
He added that enhancing private sector participation and strengthening the engagement of development partners in advancing sustainable humanitarian solutions are critical to addressing current challenges.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that despite global pressures, Nigeria has remained steadfast in upholding its commitments to displaced populations.
“As of September 2025, Nigeria hosts over 142,000 refugees and asylum seekers; has received over 24,000 documented returnees and spontaneous returns; and has a population of over 6.7 million internally displaced persons nationwide. All these displaced populations continue to be protected by a robust national legal framework that ensures their rights and protections,” he stated.
The Permanent Secretary explained that the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs Act of 2022 remains fully functional, with the Kampala Convention awaiting presidential assent for domestication.
“Additionally, several Nigerian states have developed State Action Plans in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Displacement to provide structured responses to internal displacement.
“No refoulement incident has been registered from Nigeria this year, and the national statelessness portfolio commitments remain alive. Nigeria has also increasingly worked on its Global Refugee Compact commitments of 2019 and 2023,” Kofar-Mata added.
Over 150 countries presented their national statements on refugee affairs during the session.
PIAK