Nigeria Climbs to Sixth in Global Terrorism Index as Fatalities Rise

Nigeria has moved up to sixth place in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI) with a score of 7.658, rising from eighth position in the previous two years. The latest report, released on March 5, 2025, highlights a worsening security situation in the country, with 565 terrorism-related deaths recorded in 2024.

Burkina Faso remains the most impacted nation, leading the index with a score of 8.581. It is followed by Pakistan (8.374), Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776), which round out the top five. Other countries in the top 10 include Somalia (7.614), Israel (7.463), Afghanistan (7.262), Cameroon (6.944), and Myanmar (6.929). The report also lists the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, India, Colombia, and Russia among the 16 most affected nations.

Despite a global decline in terrorism-related deaths by nearly one-third since 2015, Nigeria has experienced a renewed increase. The country saw its deadliest year in 2014 with 2,101 fatalities, but by 2022, this number had dropped to 392—the lowest level in over a decade. However, the trend reversed in 2023 with a 34 percent increase to 533 deaths, rising further to 565 in 2024.

The report attributes part of this surge to the growing presence of IS-Sahel, a terrorist faction that has expanded its operations beyond the Liptako-Gourma region—where Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger meet—into Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria. IS-Sahel carried out 16 attacks in Nigeria last year, in addition to 12 in Niger, six in Mali, and one in Burkina Faso.

More countries are now experiencing terrorist attacks, with the number rising from 58 in 2023 to 66 in 2024, the highest recorded since 2018. The report notes that for the first time in seven years, more countries saw a deterioration in security than an improvement. A total of 45 nations reported an increased impact from terrorism, while only 34 recorded progress.

The Sahel region has emerged as the global epicenter of terrorism, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related deaths in 2024—a tenfold increase since 2019. Conflict-related fatalities in the region exceeded 25,000 for the first time, with 3,885 directly linked to terrorist activity. Burkina Faso, despite remaining the most affected country, saw both deaths and attacks decline in 2024, falling by 21 percent and 57 percent, respectively. However, it still accounted for one-fifth of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

The report also warns of the fragile nature of counterterrorism efforts, citing Niger as an example. After previously recording significant improvements, Niger saw the largest increase in terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, with fatalities nearly doubling to 930. This reversal suggests that progress in neighboring Burkina Faso may be short-lived.