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Nigeria has been ranked the fourth most terrorised country in the world in 2025, according to the latest Global Terrorism Index 2026 released on Thursday, March 19.
The report, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, places Pakistan as the most terrorised country globally, followed by Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, with Nigeria coming fourth—ahead of Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The index highlights Nigeria as the Sahel nation with the highest number of terrorism-related deaths and incidents within the review period. It noted that nearly 70 per cent of global terrorism deaths in 2025 were concentrated in just five countries: Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to the report, Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism fatalities among countries surveyed, with deaths rising by 46 per cent to 750 in 2025. This marks an increase of 237 deaths compared to the previous year, continuing a steady upward trend since 2022.
The report attributes the majority of attacks in Nigeria to Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram, which together accounted for roughly 80 per cent of terrorism-related deaths in the country.
It further revealed that Nigeria was the only country in the Sahel region to record an increase in both the number of attacks and fatalities in 2025, even as five other countries in the region experienced declines in both indicators.
In total, Nigeria recorded 171 terrorist incidents during the year, with 243 people injured. The surge in violence, the report said, reflects a broader rise in both ideological extremism and criminal activity across the country.
The increasing activity of extremist groups, particularly ISWAP, also prompted military responses, including United States-backed strikes targeting militant positions in northwestern Nigeria toward the end of 2025.
The GTI report further noted that Nigeria has consistently appeared among countries most affected by terrorism every year since 2011, with civilians increasingly becoming the primary targets of attacks.
