More than 21,800 foreign refugees and asylum seekers who fled conflict in neighbouring countries are yet to be formally registered in Nigeria, leaving them without access to food aid, healthcare and other critical humanitarian support, according to the United Nations.
Figures from the November 2025 UNHCR dashboard show that 21,807 asylum seekers remain unregistered, the majority of them fleeing Cameroon’s protracted Anglophone crisis. Without registration by Nigeria’s National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), they are excluded from UN-backed assistance programmes.
Overall, Nigeria hosts about 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries. Of this number, more than 80,900 are recognised refugees, over 25,000 are asylum seekers undergoing status determination, while tens of thousands remain stuck in the registration backlog.
A review of UNHCR data over the past year indicates persistent pressure on Nigeria’s registration system. The number of unregistered refugees rose from 21,095 in December 2024 to a peak of 32,750 in June 2025 — a 55 per cent increase within six months — before falling back to 21,807 by November.
In March 2025 alone, nearly 21,000 people were awaiting registration, suggesting that new arrivals continue to outpace the government’s processing capacity.
Those without documentation are unable to benefit from food stipends, cash assistance, health insurance schemes and other forms of humanitarian relief, leaving many to rely on overstretched host communities.
Officials familiar with the process attributed the delays to staffing shortages, security constraints and logistical difficulties, particularly in Borno, Adamawa and Cross River states, which receive the highest number of new arrivals.
“Registration can take weeks or even months, depending on the location and availability of personnel,” a field officer said, requesting anonymity.
Cameroonians make up the overwhelming majority of Nigeria’s refugee population, accounting for about 86 per cent — roughly 119,000 people — displaced by the eight-year conflict in Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions. Smaller groups come from Niger, the Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
UNHCR data also show that women and girls constitute just over half of the refugee population, while children account for nearly 60 per cent. Most refugees live within host communities in Cross River, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Benue and Adamawa states, rather than in formal camps. Major cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Kano also host refugees from diverse nationalities, some of whom have lived in Nigeria for more than a decade.
Nigeria’s asylum policy is guided by its commitments under the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention, which require the country to protect people fleeing persecution and conflict. Recognised refugees are entitled to identity cards, access to education and employment, and freedom of movement. Since 2019, Nigeria has also issued Convention Travel Documents to eligible refugees.
During large influxes, however, individual asylum procedures are often suspended. In 2024, the government granted Temporary Protection Status to 86,000 Cameroonian refugees until June 2027, while about 20,000 Nigeriens in Damasak received group-based recognition.
A former Nigerian ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, said Nigeria must balance its humanitarian obligations with national security concerns.
“Nigeria is a signatory to international conventions that protect asylum seekers, especially those fleeing persecution,” he said. “But given our security challenges, border and security agencies must remain vigilant against possible infiltration.”
The refugee registration backlog comes amid a wider displacement crisis in Nigeria. UNHCR estimates that the country hosts about 3.5 million internally displaced persons, mainly due to insurgency in the North-East. Flooding in 2024 displaced over 480,000 people nationwide, further stretching humanitarian capacity.
At the same time, nearly 408,000 Nigerians remain refugees in neighbouring countries, having fled violence in the Lake Chad Basin. In 2025, UNHCR supported the voluntary return of more than 26,000 Nigerians under repatriation programmes, including a tripartite agreement signed with Chad.
Nigeria’s refugee response is implemented through a coordinated Refugee Response Plan involving government agencies, UN bodies, international NGOs and civil society groups.