West Africa, particularly Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, has witnessed significant internal and cross-border population movements. These movements are primarily driven by insecurity and terrorist attacks, leading to a host of humanitarian and political challenges. The resulting statistics are alarming.

In April 2025, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) published data on population movement, focusing on the Central Sahel and Liptako Gourma regions, as well as select West African countries.

The Central Sahel is a geographical area encompassing parts of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Specifically, it includes central and eastern Mali, northern and eastern Burkina Faso, and southwestern and central-western Niger. Liptako Gourma is a cross-border region in West Africa that straddles the shared borders of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, covering an area of approximately 370,000 km².

According to the IOM, as of April 2025, there were 3,315,545 displaced persons in the Central Sahel and Liptako Gourma regions. Of these, 2,670,331 were internally displaced persons (IDPs), representing 81% of the displaced population. An additional 645,214 were refugees, accounting for the remaining 19%.

According to the IOM, 77% of internally displaced persons (IDPs) were located in Burkina Faso (2,062,534 IDPs), 14% in Mali (378,363 IDPs) and 8% in Niger (202,925 IDPs).

The Centre for Strategic Studies of Africa (Centre d’Etudes stratégiques de l’Afrique) reports that approximately 70% of migratory movements in West and Central Africa involve the temporary, seasonal or permanent migration of workers. The main destinations are economic hubs such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. Côte d’Ivoire alone hosts more than 8 million migrants from Burkina Faso, 402,000 from Mali and 112,000 from Guinea.

The Centre d’Etudes stratégiques de l’Afrique also notes that these population movements are driven by both economic and environmental factors. Key among these are job losses resulting from overexploitation of natural resources and unregulated illegal fishing. This phenomenon costs countries in the region an estimated 0.26% of GDP, undermines livelihoods and exacerbates poverty for thousands of people.

In addition to job losses and the overexploitation of natural resources, the environmental news site  Mongabay highlights another key factor: climate change. It notes that the northern regions of Ghana and Nigeria face the highest levels of climate-related risk. However, migrants rarely cite environmental factors as their primary reason for leaving. Mongabay raises concern over projections that indicate a worsening of climate risks by 2050, particularly in certain areas of northern Ghana and northern Nigeria.

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Liptako-Gourma: alarming trends in population movement

West Africa, particularly Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, has long experienced significant cross-border and internal mobility. While migration often provides economic opportunities, current trends in the region are increasingly associated with insecurity, terrorist threats, and mounting humanitarian and political challenges. The most recent data paint a sobering picture.

In April 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released updated figures on population movements in the Central Sahel and Liptako-Gourma regions, and in other West African countries.

The Central Sahel encompasses parts of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, specifically central-eastern Mali, northern and eastern Burkina Faso, and southwestern to central-western Niger. The Liptako-Gourma region, which is shared by the same three countries and spans roughly 370,000 square kilometres, is a cross-border area of West Africa.

According to IOM, there were 3,315,545 displaced persons in the Central Sahel and Liptako-Gourma regions as of April 2025. Of this total, 2,670,331 were IDPs, representing 81% of the displaced population. The remaining 645,214 people were refugees, accounting for 19% of the total.

Again, according to IOM, Burkina Faso accounted for the largest share of IDPs, hosting 2,062,534 people (77%). This was followed by Mali with 378,363 people (14%) and Niger with 202,925 people (8%).

Beyond conflict-driven displacement, broader patterns of mobility persist across West and Central Africa. According to the Centre d’Etudes stratégiques de l’Afrique, approximately 70% of regional migration, whether temporary, seasonal or permanent, involves labour migration. Popular destinations include major economic hubs such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria. Côte d’Ivoire alone is home to over 8 million migrants from Burkina Faso, 402,000 from Mali and 112,000 from Guinea.

These migration patterns are fuelled by a combination of economic hardship and environmental degradation. Job losses linked to overfishing and unregulated fishing are particularly damaging. Such issues cost the region an estimated 0.26% of its GDP, undermining livelihoods and exacerbating poverty.In addition to these economic factors, climate change is emerging as a critical push factor. According to the environmental news site Mongabay, northern Ghana and Nigeria face some of the region’s most acute climate risks. Yet environmental degradation is rarely cited as a primary reason for migration — at least for now. However, Mongabay warns that climate-related pressures are expected to intensify sharply by 2050, particularly in these vulnerable areas.