Nigeria Ranks Fourth on Global Terrorism Index with 46 per cent surge

Nigeria Ranks Fourth on Global Terrorism Index with 46 per cent surge

Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorism-affected country in the world, following a sharp rise in terror-related deaths, according to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index (GTI).

The latest report by the Institute for Economics & Peace paints a worrying picture for the country, even as global figures show a significant decline in terrorism incidents and fatalities.

According to the report, terrorism deaths in Nigeria surged by 46 per cent in 2025, rising to 750 fatalities. The increase marks one of the highest spikes recorded globally within the period under review.

The report attributes the bulk of these deaths to activities of Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram, which together accounted for about 80 per cent of all terrorism-related killings in the country.

Globally, terrorism remains heavily concentrated, with nearly 70 per cent of all deaths occurring in just five countries; Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nigeria and DR Congo recorded some of the largest increases in fatalities during the year.

Further details in the report show that Nigeria was the site of two of the 20 deadliest terrorist attacks worldwide in 2025, both of which occurred in Borno State.

In one of the incidents, gunmen attacked Darajamal village in Bama Local Government Area on September 5, killing dozens of villagers and security personnel. Although no group officially claimed responsibility, local sources linked the assault to ISWAP fighters, with troops reportedly neutralising several of the attackers.

In a separate attack on May 15, suspected insurgents invaded communities in Kukawa Local Government Area, where scores of civilians were reportedly abducted and killed. The attack was attributed to a faction of Boko Haram, according to local reports.

The GTI, which assesses terrorism trends across 163 countries representing nearly the entire global population, ranks nations on a scale of 0 to 10 based on the impact of terrorism.

Despite Nigeria’s worsening situation, the global outlook showed improvement. The report noted that terrorism-related deaths worldwide dropped by 28 per cent to 5,582 in 2025, while the number of incidents fell by 22 per cent to 2,944; the lowest levels recorded since 2007.

However, the decline was not evenly spread. Western countries recorded a sharp 280 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths, driven largely by political extremism and hate-related attacks.

The report also identified sub-Saharan Africa as the epicentre of global terrorism, with six of the 10 most affected countries located in the region.

For the first time since the index began, Pakistan ranked as the most terrorism-impacted country, recording over 1,100 deaths and more than 1,000 incidents in 2025.

The study further highlighted emerging trends, including a rise in youth radicalisation, with related investigations tripling since 2021. It also noted that lone actors were responsible for the vast majority of fatal attacks in Western countries.

On a broader scale, the Islamic State and its affiliates remained the deadliest network globally, accounting for nearly 17 per cent of all attacks during the period.

Another notable shift identified in the report is the increasing concentration of attacks near international borders, with over 76 per cent occurring within 100 kilometres of border areas in 2025.

While 81 countries recorded improvements in terrorism levels, the highest number since 2021, the report warned that rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Middle East, could reverse recent gains.

It stressed that Nigeria’s rising fatalities highlight the urgent need for strengthened counter-terrorism measures, improved intelligence gathering, and sustained international collaboration to curb the growing threat.