Nigeria has climbed to sixth place in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), moving up from eighth in the previous two years, with a score of 7.658.
The latest GTI report, released on March 5, 2025, ranked Burkina Faso as the world’s most terrorism-affected country, followed by Pakistan, Syria, Mali, and Niger. Nigeria, now in sixth place, recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in 2024—a continued rise from 533 in 2023 and 392 in 2022.
While global terrorism deaths have dropped by nearly a third since their peak in 2015, Nigeria remains a hotspot, with IS-Sahel expanding operations in the country. The group was linked to 16 attacks in Nigeria last year, as it continues spreading beyond the Liptako-Gourma region into Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria.
The report also highlights the Sahel region as the new global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51% of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024. Niger, in particular, saw a dramatic 94% surge in fatalities, reversing its previous counterterrorism gains.
The GTI findings raise concerns about worsening security in Nigeria and the broader West African region, signaling an urgent need for stronger counterterrorism measures.
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