Nigeria has moved up to sixth place in the 2025 Global Terrorism Index (GTI), climbing from eighth position in the previous two years, with a score of 7.658.
The latest GTI report, released on Wednesday, March 5, identified Burkina Faso as the country most affected by terrorism, scoring 8.581.
Pakistan followed with 8.374, while Syria (8.006), Mali (7.907), and Niger (7.776) ranked third to fifth. Other nations in the top 10 included Somalia, Israel, Afghanistan, Cameroon, and Myanmar.
According to the report, Nigeria recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in 2024, continuing an upward trend in casualties.
“Globally, terrorism-related deaths have dropped by nearly a third since peaking in 2015, with Nigeria and Iraq experiencing the most significant declines.
“In Nigeria, fatalities reached their highest level at 2,101 in 2014 but fell to 392 in 2022, the lowest recorded since 2011.
“However, deaths increased by 34 percent in 2023, reaching 533, and rose further to 565 in 2024,” the report noted.
The document also highlighted the growing operations of IS-Sahel, which has extended its activities beyond the Liptako-Gourma region, a border area shared by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, into Algeria, Benin, and Nigeria.
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The extremist group was responsible for 16 attacks in Nigeria during 2024, in addition to 12 in Niger, six in Mali, and one in Burkina Faso.
The number of countries impacted by at least one terrorist attack increased from 58 in 2023 to 66 in 2024, the highest figure recorded since 2018.
“Terrorism remains a persistent global issue, with 2024 bringing new challenges and shifting dynamics. More nations reported a rise in terrorist activity, with 45 experiencing a worsening security situation, while only 34 saw improvements.
“This marks the first time in seven years that more countries have recorded setbacks than progress,” the report stated.
The Sahel has become the world’s most active terrorism hotspot, accounting for 51 percent of all terrorism-related fatalities in 2024, nearly ten times the level recorded in 2019.
Total conflict-related deaths in the region exceeded 25,000 for the first time since the index was established, with 3,885 of these deaths linked directly to terrorism.
“Half of the ten most terrorism-affected countries are in the Sahel. While Burkina Faso remains the hardest-hit nation, the country saw a decline in both deaths and attacks in 2024, dropping by 21 percent and 57 percent, respectively.
“Despite this decrease, Burkina Faso still accounted for 20 percent of all terrorism deaths worldwide,” the report added.
The study also highlighted the fragile nature of counterterrorism efforts, pointing to Niger’s worsening security situation.
“Niger recorded the most significant rise in terrorism-related deaths globally in 2024, with fatalities soaring by 94 percent to 930.
“This reversed the progress seen in 2022 when the country recorded the second-largest improvement in the terrorism index. Niger’s case raises concerns that Burkina Faso’s recent gains may not be sustainable,”the report warned.