Nigeria's Doro Reports 142,000 Refugees at UNHCR Meeting

Dr Bernard Doro, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, announced that Nigeria is currently hosting more than 142,000 refugees from 42 countries and over 6.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). This information was shared during his address to the international community at the 77th Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Programme in Geneva, Switzerland, from 12 to 16 October 2026.

Doro reaffirmed the Nigerian government's commitment to refugee protection and the principle of non-refoulement, calling for stronger international support for countries hosting displaced populations. He noted that Nigeria has maintained an effective asylum system under the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons Act of 2022, with no recorded cases of refoulement in 2026.

Doro also mentioned the domestication of the Kampala Convention in 2026 and the establishment of resettlement cities for IDPs to facilitate their safe return or relocation.