Nigeria, others to get 557m Euros for humanitarian aid

…As EU votes €1.9bn budget for 2026

By Favour Ulebor

Abuja-Nigeria and other African countries will benefit from a €557m million humanitarian funding package in 2026 after the European Union unveiled an initial €1.9 billion aid budget.

The budget identified Nigeria’s North West, dogged by banditry and kidnapping, among the priority areas.

In a statement signed by the European Union yesterday, the bloc said the €557m million allocation was targeted at West and Central  Africa, including the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, North West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa. The figure excludes a separate €14.6 million earmarked for North Africa.

The EU explained that the funding was coming at a time 239 million people worldwide were in need of humanitarian assistance, even as major international donors were reducing their contributions.

According to the EU, the humanitarian aid will focus on life saving interventions, including emergency food and shelter, access to critical healthcare, protection for vulnerable groups  and support for children’s education in crisis affected areas.

The commission stressed that despite growing pressure on humanitarian systems and increasing violations of international humanitarian law, the EU remained committed to providing principled assistance to people in need, regardless of location.

The €1.9 billion initial allocation includes funding for Africa, the Middle East, Ukraine and Moldova, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, Central and South America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, as well as North Africa, while more than €415 million has been reserved to respond to sudden onset emergencies worldwide.

Speaking on the commitment, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said:   “The humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain, and public funding alone will not meet the scale of the crisis. Europe is taking action, committing an initial €1.9 billion for 2026.

‘’As the largest humanitarian donor, we are taking our political responsibility and leading the global response. That’s why I’m in Davos: to mobilise the private sector to think bigger, move faster, and act together. This is a test of solidarity, and Europe is rising to the challenge.”

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