Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting refugees and upholding the principle of non-refoulement, calling for increased international support to ease the burden on countries hosting displaced populations.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard M. Doro, made the declaration while presenting Nigeria’s statement at the 77th Session of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Programme in Geneva, Switzerland.
The session, which runs from October 12 to 16, 2026, brings together stakeholders to deliberate on refugee protection and related humanitarian challenges.
Doro congratulated Dr Barham Salih on his assumption of office as UN High Commissioner for Refugees and assured him of Nigeria’s full support. He also commended the High Commissioner and his team for their work, while acknowledging the decade-long leadership of his predecessor, Filippo Grandi.
The minister further expressed appreciation to the chair and bureau of the Executive Committee for steering the session.
He said the 1951 Refugee Convention remained crucial 75 years after its adoption, particularly amid record levels of forced displacement and declining humanitarian resources.
According to Doro, Nigeria operates a fair and efficient asylum system under the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons Act, 2022, maintaining open borders for people fleeing persecution.
He disclosed that Nigeria was hosting more than 142,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 42 countries as of September 2026, alongside more than 24,000 returnees and over 6.7 million internally displaced persons.
The minister said Nigeria had recorded no cases of refoulement in 2026, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the principle, which prohibits returning refugees to territories where they face threats to their lives or freedom.
He added that Nigeria’s pledges on statelessness and the Global Compact remained on course.
Doro also announced that Nigeria domesticated the Kampala Convention in 2026, with states beginning to follow suit.
He said improvements in the security situation since the last committee meeting were creating favourable conditions for voluntary returns.
Working with UNHCR, he added, Nigeria had advanced the Digital Gateway initiative to provide refugees with secure online access to information.
The minister further disclosed that resettlement cities for internally displaced persons had been established in seven locations to support the phased and voluntary closure of displacement camps while ensuring the safety and dignity of affected populations.
On voluntary repatriation, Doro said more than 7,000 Nigerian refugees had returned home this year under tripartite agreements, while another 14,000 refugees in Cameroon had registered for return.
He added that an agreement covering 2,000 Nigerian refugees in Niger was being finalised.
The minister expressed appreciation to Cameroon, Chad and Niger for hosting Nigerian refugees.
On local integration, he said former Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees had successfully integrated into Nigerian communities, with some establishing and leading businesses.
He added that refugees in five states were benefiting from land allocation, agricultural inputs and skills acquisition programmes.
According to him, the newly established Public-Private Partnership Department of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons was also working to reduce refugees’ dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Doro called on countries to recognise Nigeria’s Convention Travel Documents and facilitate visa issuance for holders.
He said displaced persons and host communities were being enrolled in the national identity system to improve access to banking, education and social services.
Refugees, he added, were being incorporated into state action plans and social registers, while 10 mobile documentation buses would soon be deployed to remote areas to improve access to essential documentation.
The minister noted that Nigeria reaffirmed its five pledges made in 2023 in December 2025, but stressed that host countries could not shoulder the responsibility of refugee protection alone.
He called for stronger international burden- and responsibility-sharing, including expanded resettlement opportunities and complementary pathways for refugees.
Doro also urged UNHCR to explore increased funding through partnerships with regional and sub-regional financial institutions, including the African Development Bank and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
He thanked international donors for their continued support despite the challenging global funding environment.
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with UNHCR, stressing that sustained international cooperation remained essential to addressing displacement and improving the welfare of refugees and host communities.
