Nigeria’s struggle with insecurity has taken a disturbing turn, with fresh data showing a sharp rise in both attacks and deaths linked to terrorism.
‎According to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, in 2025, Nigeria rose two places to fourth position, reflecting the significant increase of terrorist activity in the country.
‎Terror attacks in the nation increased by 43%, from 120 incidents in 2024 to 171 in 2025.
‎Deaths from terrorism have continued to rise, increasing by 46% to 750 in 2025, marking the highest death toll since 2020.
‎Much of the violence continues to be driven by familiar groups, such as Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, who account for 80% of all terrorism deaths in the country.
‎When compared to neighbouring countries across sub-Saharan Africa, five countries in the Sahel recorded falls in both the number of deaths and incidents from the previous year.
‎Nigeria, however, saw no progress, ranking as the only country in the region to experience an increase in both categories.
Edited by Favour Owonibi.