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Nigeria has climbed to sixth place in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) with a score of 7.658, moving up from eighth position in 2023 and 2024.
The latest report, released on 5 March 2025, ranked Burkina Faso as the most impacted country with a score of 8.581, followed by Pakistan (8.374), Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776), which placed second to fifth, respectively.
Other countries in the top 10 most affected by terrorism include Somalia (7.614), Israel (7.463), Afghanistan (7.262), Cameroon (6.944), and Myanmar (6.929). The Democratic Republic of the Congo (6.768), Iraq (6.582), India (6.410), Colombia (6.381), and Russia (6.267) ranked from 11th to 16th.
The report documented 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024, reflecting a continued increase in fatalities over the past two years.
“Globally, deaths from terrorism have declined by almost a third since the peak in 2015, with Iraq and Nigeria recording the largest decreases. Deaths in Nigeria peaked at 2,101 in 2014, before dropping to 392 in 2022, the lowest level since 2011. However, fatalities increased by 34 percent in 2023 to 533, and further to 565 in 2024,” the report stated.
The study also pointed to the growing influence of IS-Sahel, which has expanded its activities beyond the Liptako-Gourma region—the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—into Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria. The group was responsible for 16 attacks in Nigeria in 2024, along with 12 in Niger, six in Mali, and one in Burkina Faso.
Additionally, the number of countries affected by at least one terrorist attack rose from 58 to 66 in 2024, the highest figure recorded since 2018.
“Terrorism remains a persistent global threat, with 2024 marking another year of shifting patterns and evolving challenges. More countries experienced a deterioration in security, with 45 reporting an increased impact from terrorism, while only 34 saw improvements—the first time in seven years that more nations worsened than improved,” the report stated.
The Sahel region has emerged as the global epicentre of terrorism, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024, a nearly tenfold increase since 2019. Overall, conflict-related deaths in the region surpassed 25,000 for the first time since the inception of the index, with 3,885 attributed to terrorism.
“Five of the ten countries most impacted by terrorism are in the Sahel. Although Burkina Faso remains the most affected country, both deaths and attacks declined in 2024—falling by 21 percent and 57 percent, respectively. However, the country still accounted for one-fifth of all terrorism deaths globally,” the report noted.
The findings also underscored the fragility of counterterrorism progress, using Niger as an example.
“Niger recorded the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, surging by 94 percent to 930 fatalities. This reversed the progress seen in 2022 when the country recorded the second-largest improvement in terrorism impact. The case of Niger suggests that the gains made in Burkina Faso may be temporary,” the report added.
