Nigeria is set to receive €33 million from a €235 million humanitarian assistance package announced by the European Commission to support vulnerable populations across West and Central Africa.
The funding was disclosed in a statement issued by the Press and Information Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, who said the intervention is aimed at addressing worsening humanitarian conditions driven by conflict, food insecurity, and climate-related shocks across the region.
According to the Commission, the support will target the most vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons, host communities, and populations in hard-to-reach areas. The intervention is expected to deliver essential services such as food assistance, healthcare, clean water, shelter, and access to education.
A breakdown of the allocation shows that €75 million will be directed to the Central Sahel, while Chad will receive over €72 million. The Central African Republic is allocated €22 million, Cameroon over €16.6 million, Mauritania €4.8 million, and more than €6 million will go to coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million is earmarked for regional programmes spanning multiple countries.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, described the humanitarian situation in the region as severe, citing a combination of conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate pressures.
She noted that her recent visit to Chad highlighted the scale of human suffering, with many families displaced and deprived of livelihoods. Lahbib emphasised that for millions of people, humanitarian assistance remains essential for survival, providing access to food, clean water, healthcare, shelter, and education.
The Commission identified conflict as the primary driver of humanitarian needs across West and Central Africa, further worsened by climate change, weak governance structures, population pressures, and disputes over land and resources.
It noted that the Central Sahel and Lake Chad Basin remain key hotspots of instability, with violence increasingly spreading to coastal countries and triggering large-scale displacement within and across borders. The Commission also pointed to the ongoing crisis in Sudan as an additional factor intensifying humanitarian challenges, particularly in eastern Chad.
In Nigeria, persistent insecurity in the North-West has continued to exacerbate humanitarian concerns, leaving thousands displaced and in urgent need of assistance. Similar patterns of violence and displacement were also reported in parts of Cameroon and the Central African Republic.
The European Union said the funding underscores its ongoing commitment to saving lives, alleviating suffering, and supporting recovery efforts in one of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
