Extremist organizations with ties to al Qaeda and ISIS are dramatically escalating their violent campaigns along the borders of Niger, Benin and Nigeria, transforming previously quiet transit routes into dangerous war zones, a new study reveals.
Research from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, released Thursday, shows that terror incidents involving Islamic extremist factions in this three-nation border region jumped 90% from 2024 to 2025, while fatalities more than doubled, surpassing 1,000 deaths as violence escalated.
The data highlights how jihadist organizations continue to gain ground throughout West Africa, despite more than ten years of efforts by regional governments and international military forces to stop their advancement.
According to the study, fighters connected to al Qaeda and ISIS have strengthened their foothold across Benin’s Alibori and Borgou departments, Niger’s Dosso region, and Nigeria’s Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara states. These operations now demonstrate “continued spread, growing lethality, and rising risks to civilians,” the report stated.
Military officials from Nigeria and government representatives from Niger and Benin did not provide responses when contacted for comment.
Nigeria has been fighting Islamic insurgents for more than 15 years, primarily battling Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country’s northeastern regions. However, cells affiliated with al Qaeda and ISIS have intensified their activities in northwestern areas, where extensive forest cover and limited government control provide ideal conditions for their operations.
West Africa is home to numerous jihadist factions, with many functioning under the broader organizations of al Qaeda-connected Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) or Islamic State in the Sahel Province (ISSP).
This territorial expansion has contributed to widespread political upheaval throughout the region. Military forces in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have overthrown governments since 2020, claiming that democratically elected leaders failed to address the growing violence. Military personnel who attempted an unsuccessful coup in Benin last December also cited security concerns as justification.
The United States conducted airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria in December and has started positioning a limited number of military personnel to provide training support for Nigerian forces confronting these militant groups.
Cooperation between regional governments has deteriorated in recent years as Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali—now controlled by military leadership—have pulled out of regional partnerships, making coordinated security efforts more difficult.
ACLED researchers noted that jihadist organizations have increased their public communications regarding activities in the tri-border area, potentially indicating rivalry between competing groups. This type of “outbidding,” according to the report, will likely lead to increased violence.
Limited government oversight and poorly secured borders have historically made frontier areas throughout the Sahel and coastal West Africa attractive targets for Islamic extremist groups looking to avoid security forces, resupply their fighters and gain control over local populations.
