New data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) indicates that jihadist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), have intensified operations in the border region linking Nigeria, Niger and Benin, transforming the area into a growing hotspot of violence.
Militant Islamist groups have for years destabilised northern Nigeria and parts of neighbouring Niger and Benin. However, ACLED’s latest report shows that these groups have deepened their foothold in the tri-border zone in recent years, significantly increasing attacks on civilians and security forces.
According to the report, jihadist violence in the region rose sharply in 2025 compared to previous years. ACLED noted that while the borderlands function as a connected conflict zone, each country experiences distinct patterns of violence.
In Nigeria, violent incidents surged by 86 percent across Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states. Benin recorded sporadic but highly lethal cross-border raids by Islamist fighters. Meanwhile, in Niger, the Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) claimed responsibility for two ambushes on Nigerien armed forces in Goubey in December and Birni N’Konni in February.
Several extremist groups remain active in West Africa, including JNIM, Boko Haram, ISSP, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Governments across the region have struggled to contain the expanding insurgency. Most recently, United States forces reportedly carried out air strikes on ISSP camps in Nigeria, criticising what they described as inadequate efforts to curb attacks targeting Christian civilians.
