The United Nations has warned that terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria and across the West African and Sahel region are increasingly adopting advanced technologies, including drones, encrypted communications and cryptocurrencies, to strengthen their operations and evade security forces.

The warning was delivered to the UN Security Council by Leonardo Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), during the presentation of the Secretary-General's latest regional report covering developments between November 2025 and June 2026.

Terror Groups Increasingly Leveraging Technology

According to Simão, extremist groups are evolving from isolated insurgents into sophisticated criminal networks capable of coordinating cross-border operations using modern technologies.

He said armed groups are increasingly deploying drones, sophisticated communications systems and cryptocurrencies while expanding their territorial and economic influence across the region.

The UN noted that these groups are also becoming more deeply connected to transnational organised crime, making them more difficult for authorities to track and disrupt.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The report highlights the worsening humanitarian impact of insecurity across the region, with an estimated 6.8 million internally displaced persons and 1.28 million refugees and asylum seekers.

According to Simão, continued violence, kidnappings and terrorist attacks in countries including Nigeria, Niger and Burkina Faso have severely restricted humanitarian operations, with women, children and young people bearing the greatest burden.

Technology Adds New Challenges to Counterterrorism

The UN warning comes weeks after the United States announced what it described as the largest seizure of terrorist equipment in Nigeria since the September 11 attacks.

According to U.S. officials, a joint operation with Nigerian security forces recovered a large cache of electronic devices and operational materials from jihadist groups, with the evidence reportedly requiring an additional aircraft to transport it to the United States for forensic analysis.

UN Calls for Broader Response Beyond Military Action

While acknowledging ongoing security operations, the United Nations stressed that military campaigns alone cannot eliminate violent extremism.

Security Council members agreed that increasingly sophisticated terrorist organisations are becoming more closely linked to organised crime, illicit trafficking and drug networks, and called for stronger investments in governance, education, job creation, humanitarian assistance and economic development to address the underlying drivers of instability.

The Council also reaffirmed its support for preventive diplomacy and regional cooperation, extending UNOWAS' mandate until 31 January 2029 as part of broader efforts to strengthen peace and security across West Africa and the Sahel.