Nigeria - Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States (BAY) 2025 4th quarter access snapshot (As 31 December 2025)

Background
During Q4 2025, humanitarian access in Northeast Nigeria was severely restricted due to ongoing activities by Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs), military operations, movement limitations, and the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, which not only impeded humanitarian efforts but also posed risks to civilian safety.
Insecurity repeatedly disrupted access to farmlands, forests, waterways, and key roads, with attacks occurring near Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, returnee areas, and major supply routes, reflecting a shrinking of safe spaces.
The Protection Sector recorded 48 incidents of attacks against civilians across multiple Local Government Areas (LGAs), with a notable escalation in Bama LGA in mid-December involving fatalities and abductions. Fear of abduction significantly limited movement, and led to about 60 percent of assessed household reporting movement restrictions.
NSAGs continued to attack towns and IDP camps, including coordinated assaults on Mafa town and Ajiri community, Dikwa town, surrounding villages in Ngala, Monguno market, and Izge community near Gwoza, many of which host resettled IDPs and returnees.
In response, the Armed Forces of Nigeria conducted multiple airstrikes targeting NSAG bases and logistics assets in the Sambisa Forest, near Chibok town, and in Dabar Masara in the Southern Tumbuns, while Operation Desert Sanity resumed operations in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Explosive Ordinance (EO) Mountains to counter ongoing NSAG threats.
The most likely scenario in the first quarter of 2026 will be NSAG increasing attacks against civilians and utilizing Improvised Explosive Devices attacks to disrupt humanitarian and commercial traffic along main supply routes and secondary roads. Civilians may remain exposed to risks of abductions, attacks, and movement restrictions, potentially exacerbating protection concerns and constraining access to livelihood opportunities.

UN-Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination
From January to December 2025, UN-CMCOORD conducted field missions across several LGAs to address coordination challenges between security actors and humanitarian partners, including easing movement restrictions and facilitating the delivery of supplies to hard-to-reach areas.
During the same period, the unit consistently disseminated the Nigeria Civil-Military Guidelines and trained 465 military personnel across multiple locations. UN-CMCOORD also operated the Humanitarian Notification System, processing 3,575 cargo approval requests and coordinating secure movements for 479 humanitarian supply trucks across the BAY States.
Additionally, where no timely commercial options were available, the unit requested support from the Armed Forces of Nigeria to repair and maintain critical infrastructure such as helicopter landing pads and bridges to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian and commercial goods.