Amid massive donor funding cuts from Official Development Assistance (ODA) sources such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which have disrupted the operations of many donor-supported non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) has called for greater prioritization of data-driven projects to attract new resources and bridge funding gaps.
The Chief Executive Director of dRPC, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker, made the appeal in Abuja during a *Pause and Reflect* workshop reviewing the performance of 17 NGOs that each received a ₦5 million grant under the Centre’s NGO Support Initiative (NSI).
She urged NGOs and civil society organizations (CSOs) to study current global donor trends and adapt their strategies to align with emerging priorities to remain competitive for funding opportunities.
Dr. Walker explained that the NSI project is an experiment in localization, where local Nigerian funders regrant resources to domestic NGOs, supported with technical assistance to strengthen project implementation.
“This is an experiment that is not free of challenges, and that is why we are pausing and reflecting,” she said. “We understand from current trends that funding windows are closing, but if the door is closed, go through the window by finding alternatives. Donors are beginning to look for projects that have very clear, measurable statistics backed by data.”
In his presentation on Shifts in Global Philanthropic Funding Trends, Priorities and Opportunities, dRPC’s Director of Projects, Dr. Stanley Ukpai, noted that overseas donor agency funding to NGOs has fallen sharply, with a decline of about 50 percent globally between 2024 and 2025.
According to him, ODA contributions from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries dropped to $212.1 billion in 2024, down 7.1 percent from 2023. Humanitarian aid also fell by 9.6 percent to $24.2 billion, with projections showing further cuts in 2025.
“Major donors like the US and Germany have made deep cuts, while Japan, South Korea, and Italy showed modest increases,” Dr. Ukpai said.
He added that donors are now placing emphasis on projects with clear, measurable outcomes supported by robust data.
He explained that while countries such as Sweden and the UK continue to prioritize humanitarian aid, smaller donors are focusing on high-profile crises like Ukraine and Palestine, even as social equity and inclusion remain central to many foundations’ funding priorities.
