By Favour Ulebor, Abuja
The ECOWAS Commission has revealed that Nigeria, Niger and other Sahelian countries now account for the highest number of displaced persons in West Africa, as instability, coups and terrorist attacks continue to force millions from their homes.
This was disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja during the 55th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council at ministerial level, where the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, warned that the region is facing a “state of emergency.”
He said recent assessments show a sharp rise in humanitarian pressure, with Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali topping the list of countries with the highest number of internally displaced persons.
According to him, approximately 7.6 million people are forcibly displaced across the region, a situation he described as alarming and unsustainable.
Dr Touray stated that more than 6.5 million of these are internally displaced persons who have been driven from their homes by violence, insecurity and political instability.
He noted that the crisis affects several ECOWAS member states, but countries battling insurgency and armed groups remain the worst hit.
Quoting figures from the UNHCR Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa, he added that the region currently hosts 1,094,742 refugees and asylum seekers.
He said asylum seekers are spread across Niger, Mali, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin, Senegal and The Gambia.
He warned that the displacement crisis is worsening daily and urged member states to take urgent decisions to reverse the trend.
“Behind these numbers are families, women and children who bear the brunt of instability,” he said.
Dr Touray also raised concerns over growing security threats across the region, stressing that West Africa faces high risks from political tensions, terrorism, military interventions and organised crime.
He cited the recent coup in Guinea-Bissau and an attempted coup in Benin as indicators of democratic fragility in the region.
He warned that upcoming elections in Guinea, the Republic of Benin, The Gambia and Cape Verde could come under serious pressure without preventive measures.
He urged ECOWAS to also carefully manage relations with the Alliance of Sahel States, as terrorist groups continue to operate along shared borders.
Declaring the situation a regional emergency, he called for more frequent meetings of the Mediation and Security Council in the coming year to strengthen responses to emerging threats.
He stressed the need for member states to pool resources to combat terrorism and banditry, while also maintaining unity in the face of geopolitical pressures.
Dr Touray assured that ECOWAS remains committed to promoting peace, stability and constitutional order in the region, expressing confidence that the council’s deliberations would produce strong recommendations for Heads of State and Government.
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