$247 Million Humanitarian Support Flows to Nigeria from US, EU

Nigeria has secured a substantial $247.3 million in humanitarian assistance for 2026 so far, as disclosed in the latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This funding, detailed in a report covering eight nations experiencing crises across West and Central Africa, saw $232.8 million channeled directly through the country's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP).

This marks a significant uplift, pushing Nigeria's humanitarian funding coverage to 47 percent of its $516.4 million requirement, making it the second-highest rate among the countries assessed. These figures are derived from OCHA's weekly West and Central Africa Regional Funding Status report, which concluded on June 22, 2026, and relies on data from the UN's Financial Tracking Service (FTS). The report highlights a notable increase in Nigeria's humanitarian funding coverage, climbing from 33 percent in late March to 47 percent by late June.

OCHA's ROWCA Regional Funding Status reports are issued weekly, drawing data from the UN Financial Tracking Service, and encompass all 23 countries within West and Central Africa. Funding plans are specifically monitored for eight countries, including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic.

Information obtained by Sunday PUNCH indicates that the United States of America and the European Commission's humanitarian arm, ECHO, stand as the primary contributors across the West and Central Africa region. By June 22, the US had cumulatively contributed $929.6 million to the region, while ECHO provided $321.3 million, according to the same report. Other significant donors included Germany ($116.9 million), the United Kingdom ($77.2 million), Canada ($72.6 million), and Switzerland ($72.5 million).

While FTS data did not offer a specific breakdown of individual donor contributions to Nigeria, the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, a country-specific pooled fund, received $17.2 million, featuring as a recipient in both 2025 and 2026 data. Tracking the monthly progression through various reports from December 2025 to June 2026, Sunday PUNCH observed a consistent rise in Nigeria’s HNRP funding: from $173.6 million as of March 30, it reached $192.8 million by April 27, $199.9 million by May 4, $214.6 million by May 26, and $232.8 million by June 22. This represents a $59.2 million, or 34 percent, increase over three months. The total sum, including $5.8 million outside the HNRP, stood at $247.3 million by June 22, leaving an outstanding funding gap of $274.8 million against Nigeria’s 2026 HNRP requirement. Furthermore, the reports noted a fresh inflow of $11 million during the week of June 15 to June 22, marking a 5 percent increase.

The 2026 recovery follows a severe funding deficit in the preceding year, with OCHA data revealing a general decline in humanitarian funding for West and Central Africa. By mid-June 2024, the region had attracted $2.06 billion; however, by the same period in 2025, only $818.83 million had been mobilized, a drop exceeding 60 percent. Fortunately, funding rebounded to $2.02 billion by June 2026.

External humanitarian funding to Nigeria decreased in 2025. Its final 2025 total, documented in a February 23, 2026 report covering the completed 2025 cycle, showed $321.5 million raised against a funding requirement of $910.2 million, resulting in an unmet gap of nearly $589 million. For 2026, Nigeria’s HNRP requirement was adjusted downwards to $516.4 million, a reduction from the $910.2 million needed in 2025.

Among the 17 humanitarian clusters receiving funds in the region, Food Security had the largest requirement at $1.803 billion but remained the most underfunded, with only 11 percent HNRP coverage. The Refugees cluster, which addresses Nigeria's displacement crisis in the Northeast and Northwest, received $189.8 million within its HNRP and an additional $91.7 million outside it, totaling $281.5 million, which accounts for 20 percent of its $950.2 million requirement. Between December 2025 and May 2026, the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Northwest geopolitical zone surged by 143,189, largely due to a more than twofold increase in Sokoto State, bringing the total IDP population in the Northwest to 793,534.

The Health cluster received $93.8 million (27 percent funded), Nutrition received $75.9 million (15 percent funded), and Protection received $83.4 million (27 percent funded). Child Protection funding experienced the most significant rise, increasing by 21 percent over the past six months.

In the country ranking for HNRP coverage, Nigeria was second only to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which achieved 53 percent coverage against a $1.4 billion requirement. Nigeria's 47 percent funding rate surpassed the Central African Republic (31 percent), Chad (28 percent), Cameroon (24 percent), Mali (18 percent), and both Burkina Faso and Niger (15 percent each). However, Nigeria’s 2026 funding requirement of $516.4 million is almost half of Chad’s $986.1 million and the DRC’s $1.4 billion.

On the recipient side, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR served as the largest conduits for regional funds. By June 22, WFP had received $213.5 million, and UNHCR had received $197 million. Other major recipients included UNICEF ($63.9 million), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) ($72.3 million), Action Against Hunger ($81 million), and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) ($26.5 million).