Nigeria records 3.38 million displaced persons across 14 states

Nigeria recorded over 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 14 states in 2023, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The figure, published in its Demographic Bulletin 2023, puts the total at 3,381,228 people. Borno State accounted for more than half, with 1.7 million displaced residents. Benue State and Katsina State followed with 394,567 and 244,380 persons respectively. The lowest numbers were recorded in Gombe State, Nasarawa State and Kano State.

The bulletin also placed Nigeria’s population at 221.25 million in 2023, based on projections from the National Population Commission. Kano remained the most populous state, ahead of Lagos State and Katsina, while Nasarawa and Bayelsa State had the smallest populations.

On health spending, maternal care took the largest share in 2022, accounting for just over half of both capital and recurrent expenditure. The report noted that antenatal care coverage rose from 50 per cent in 2011 to 67 per cent in 2018, before slipping to 63 per cent in 2021.

Data on migration showed the United Kingdom remained the biggest source of remittances to Nigeria in 2023, contributing 12.38 billion dollars. Meanwhile, trafficking cases stood at 968, with prostitution-related travel topping the list.

Employment data from the National Electronic Labour Exchange indicated a steady rise in private sector job listings, reaching 150 in 2023, although no federal vacancies were posted during the period.