The European Union (EU) has announced that Nigeria and other African countries will receive €557 million from its 2026 humanitarian aid budget.
The disclosure was made on Wednesday in a statement issued in Abuja by the Press Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Modestus Chukwulaka.
According to the statement, the funding targets West and Central Africa, with particular focus on North-West Nigeria, as part of the bloc’s initial €1.9 billion humanitarian aid allocation for 2026.
The EU said the decision comes at a time when about 239 million people worldwide require humanitarian assistance, while major international donors are cutting back on funding.
It clarified that the €557 million excludes a separate €14.6 million earmarked for North Africa.
The allocation forms part of the €1.9 billion humanitarian budget announced by the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib.
The statement noted that Lahbib is presenting the commitment at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where she is seeking to mobilise private sector financing and innovative solutions to complement public funding.
“The EU’s humanitarian aid delivers life-saving assistance where it matters most — emergency food and shelter, critical healthcare, protection for the most vulnerable, and support for children’s education in crisis zones,” the statement said.
It added that despite increasing strain on humanitarian law and shrinking donor support, the EU remains committed to principled aid that reaches people in need.
Breakdown of the allocation shows that:
- €557 million is for West and Central Africa, the Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa.
- €448 million is for the Middle East, particularly Gaza, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.
- €145 million is for humanitarian needs in Ukraine.
- €126 million is for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
- €95 million is for Central and South America and the Caribbean.
- €73 million is for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, especially the Myanmar crisis and its spillover into Bangladesh.
- €14.6 million is for North Africa.
- More than €415 million is reserved for sudden-onset emergencies and maintaining strategic supply chains.
The statement said Lahbib is also engaging business leaders and investors in Davos on new financing models for humanitarian responses.
She is expected to co-host an event titled ‘New Alliances in Aid and Development’ with the World Economic Forum on January 22.
The EU and its member states remain the world’s leading humanitarian aid donors.
The European Commission has provided humanitarian assistance since 1992 in more than 110 countries through NGOs, UN agencies and specialised organisations across member states.
