Is there a war in Nigeria?

Yes. UCDP lists 22 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in Nigeria.

1 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Nigeria: Islamic State, 1,662 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in Nigeria in 2025

1,864in state-based fighting

1,531in fighting between armed groups

763in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in Nigeria (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2015

Nigeria: Islamic State

1,662deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)

1,668deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

15,594total 2015–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (11 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Nigeria vs IS

2015highest: 2,2872026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	1,668
2025	1,662
2024	1,163
2023	1,545
2022	1,052
2021	1,597
2020	1,559
2019	1,013
2018	836
2017	817
2016	2,287
2015	2,063

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Nigeria · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2005

Fulani - Tiv

388deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

73deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

2,740total 2011–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (14 years listed)

Who is fighting: Fulani vs Tiv

2005highest: 5592026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: August 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	73
2025	388
2024	103
2023	190
2022	210
2021	282
2020	45
2018	559
2017	73
2016	224
2015	67
2014	101
2013	205
2012	112
2011	181

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Nigeria · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2016

IS - JAS

333deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

134deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

2,033total 2021–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (5 years listed)

Who is fighting: IS vs JAS

2016highest: 6332026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	134
2025	333
2024	633
2023	373
2022	386
2021	308

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Nigeria · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1966

Nigeria: Government

195deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)

281deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

14,600total 2009–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (16 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Nigeria vs JAS

1989highest: 4,7882026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Nigeria). Also recorded in: Chad, Niger.

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	281
2025	195
2024	222
2023	464
2022	428
2021	276
2020	465
2019	328
2018	335
2017	1,062
2016	164
2015	2,703
2014	4,788
2013	1,629
2012	811
2011	325
2009	405

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Nigeria · War WATCH (legal classification) · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2019

IS - JNIM

154deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

70deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

1,538total 2020–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (6 years listed)

Who is fighting: IS vs JNIM

2019highest: 4362026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Nigeria). Also recorded in: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger.

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	70
2025	154
2024	40
2023	436
2022	405
2021	122
2020	381

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Burkina Faso · View on map →

17 more conflicts in Nigeria

Conflict (UCDP)	2025	Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary
Birom - Fulani Birom vs Fulani	118	75	Map
Fulani - Ron-Kulere Fulani vs Ron-Kulere	82	–	Map
Fulani - Irigwe Fulani vs Irigwe	78	2	Map
Black Axe - Eyie Black Axe vs Eyie	67	43	Map
Farmers (Nigeria) - Herders (Nigeria) Farmers (Nigeria) vs Herders (Nigeria)	64	58	Map
Fulani - Idoma Fulani vs Idoma	51	8	Map
Fulani - Munga Fulani vs Munga	49	–	Map
Nigeria: Biafra Government of Nigeria vs IPOB	48	28	Map
Chain Guys - Full Force Chain Guys vs Full Force	45	–	Map
Fulani - Mushere Fulani vs Mushere	42	–	Map
Black Axe - SVC Black Axe vs SVC	36	19	Map
Agatu - Fulani Agatu vs Fulani	28	7	Map
Hausa - Fulani Hausa vs Fulani	26	3	Map
Fulani - Kamuku Fulani vs Kamuku	–	58	Map
Fulani - Mwaghavul Fulani vs Mwaghavul	–	39	Map
Fulani - Kambari Fulani vs Kambari	–	35	Map
Bwatiye - Tsobo Bwatiye vs Tsobo	–	26	Map

Military personnel

223,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in Nigeria

United States33

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

United Kingdompartly withheld

stationed · 1 Apr 2026 · UK MOD

Army 10, RAF withheld, RN/RM withheld (each rounded to 10)

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

Angola Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad DR Congo Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Mali Mozambique Niger Rwanda Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Togo

All countries →

Sources and licences

Conflicts and deaths: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), ucdp.uu.se/downloads, CC BY 4.0. Data through 30 September 2026.
Military personnel: World Bank, Armed forces personnel, total (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1); original source IISS, The Military Balance; CC BY 4.0.
Foreign military personnel: UN Department of Peace Operations, uniformed personnel contributions (UN Peace and Security Data Hub, via HDX) (as of 31 Jul 2026, CC BY-IGO 3.0); UK Ministry of Defence, Annual Location Statistics, table 1.1b (as of 1 Apr 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0); Ministère des Armées, Les chiffres clés de la Défense 2026, p.20 (État-major des armées, April 2026) (as of Apr 2026, Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0); DoD Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Location Report (as of 31 Aug 2026, US government work, public domain).
Protests: The GDELT Project, GDELT 2.0 Event Database; automated, unverified.
Links only (nothing copied): CrisisWatch (© International Crisis Group), GOV.UK travel advice (OGL v3.0), U.S. Department of State (public domain), War WATCH (Geneva Academy), ReliefWeb (UN OCHA).

🇳🇬Is there a war in Nigeria?

Deaths recorded in Nigeria in 2025

The conflicts

Nigeria: Islamic State

Fulani - Tiv

IS - JAS

Nigeria: Government

IS - JNIM

17 more conflicts in Nigeria

Military personnel

Foreign military personnel in Nigeria

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

Sources and licences

Is there a war in Nigeria?