Over 600,000 Nigerians Ran Out Of The Country During Buhari’s Tenure (Full Figures)

Over 600,000 Nigerians sought asylum in other countries between 2016 and 2023, during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari, who was President from 2015 to 2023, handed over to President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, following Tinubu’s victory in the general elections.

A report released on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, by Statisense, a data collection organization, highlighted that out of 664,384 asylum seekers over eight years, 355,792 Nigerians sought asylum between 2016 and 2019, and 308,592 between 2020 and 2023.

The year-by-year breakdown shows:

– 2016: 66,862 asylum seekers

– 2017: 91,924 asylum seekers

– 2018: 84,624 asylum seekers

– 2019: 112,382 asylum seekers

– 2020: 73,233 asylum seekers

– 2021: 83,105 asylum seekers

– 2022: 83,402 asylum seekers

– 2023: 68,852 asylum seekers

These figures represent a significant increase compared to previous years, as Statisense noted that from 2004 to 2015, only 204,791 Nigerians filed for asylum. In total, 869,175 Nigerians sought asylum between 2004 and 2023.

The report, posted on Statisense’s X.com handle @StatiSense, cited the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Additionally, another report by Statisense revealed that the Republic of Niger hosted the highest number of Nigerian refugees in 2023, with approximately 200,497 Nigerians and a total of 1,268,464 Nigerian refugees between 2015 and 2023. Niger, which shares a border with northern Nigeria, has been affected by insecurity issues such as banditry, terrorism, and herdsmen-farmers conflicts.

Furthermore, the report indicated that Nigerians topped the list of African countries seeking asylum in Canada in 2023, with about 10,111 asylum seekers, followed by Kenya with 1,345. Additionally, 1,345 Nigerians sought asylum in the United Kingdom and 5,136 in the United States of America.