The Government of Japan has donated food assistance valued at $853,000 to support humanitarian efforts in North-East Nigeria, where millions of people continue to face severe food shortages caused by conflict, displacement and economic hardship.
The donation, channelled through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), is expected to provide life-saving support to vulnerable households across the region, particularly in the conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
According to the WFP, Japan’s contribution comes at a critical time as the humanitarian situation in northern Nigeria continues to deteriorate, with millions of residents struggling to meet their daily needs. The agency described the support as timely, noting that it will help sustain food assistance for those most affected by the prolonged crisis.
WFP Nigeria Programme Policy Officer, Itaru Furuta, said the donation would strengthen ongoing efforts to provide emergency food assistance to families facing acute hunger, while reaffirming Japan’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities in Nigeria.
The humanitarian agency warned that food insecurity across northern Nigeria has reached alarming levels, driven by persistent insecurity, displacement, inflation and climate-related shocks that have disrupted farming and livelihoods.
The latest intervention follows repeated appeals by the WFP for increased international support to sustain humanitarian operations in the region. Earlier this year, the agency warned that funding shortages could force it to scale back assistance, leaving more than one million people at risk of losing access to emergency food aid.
Humanitarian organisations estimate that nearly 35 million Nigerians could face acute food insecurity during the 2026 lean season, with the North-East remaining one of the country’s worst-hit regions due to years of insurgency and displacement.
