Niger, a landlocked West African country, was already hosting more than half a million refugees before this year

Background

The country receiving most of those who flee northern Nigeria is Niger, a landlocked West African nation.
Before the start of 2026 it was already hosting more than half a million refugees and asylum-seekers, alongside large numbers of internally displaced people.
Some 327,500 of those refugees were from Nigeria.
Diffa lies in south-eastern Niger and Tahoua in the west, and both border Nigeria.
Niger is also dealing with insecurity, climate shocks and overstretched services.
Diffa has accounted for more than 70 per cent of the reported security incidents in Niger this year.
A landlocked country is one with no coastline of its own.