Nigeria is set to receive €33 million from a €235 million humanitarian assistance package announced by the European Commission to support vulnerable populations across West and Central Africa.
The funding, announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Press and Information Officer of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, is targeted at addressing the worsening humanitarian situation in the region driven by conflict, food insecurity, and climate-related shocks.

According to the European Commission, the intervention will focus on populations most in need, including internally displaced persons, host communities, and people in hard-to-reach areas.

The support is expected to provide critical services such as food assistance, healthcare, clean water, shelter, and education support.

A breakdown of the allocation shows that €75 million will go to the Central Sahel, while Chad will receive over €72 million. The Central African Republic is allocated €22 million, Cameroon over €16.6 million, Mauritania €4.8 million, and more than €6 million for coastal countries. An additional €6.4 million is set aside for regional programmes cutting across multiple countries.

European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, described the humanitarian landscape in the region as alarming, citing a combination of conflict, poverty, and environmental pressures.

“West and Central Africa is facing a storm of humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, poverty, hunger, instability, and climate shocks,” she said.

Reflecting on her visit to Chad, Lahbib noted that the human toll of the crises remains severe, with many families displaced and stripped of their livelihoods.

“For millions of people, humanitarian aid is not a choice. It is food on the table, clean water, medicine, shelter, and a chance for their children to learn again,” she added, reaffirming the European Union’s commitment to remain a reliable partner in times of crisis.

The Commission identified conflict as the primary driver of humanitarian needs across the region, further exacerbated by climate change and local challenges such as weak governance structures, population pressures, and disputes over land and resources.

It noted that the Central Sahel and Lake Chad Basin remain the epicentres of instability, with violence increasingly spilling into coastal countries and triggering widespread displacement both within and across national borders.

“The ongoing crisis in Sudan has also compounded humanitarian challenges, particularly in eastern Chad,” the Commission added.

In Nigeria, protracted insecurity in the North-West continues to deepen humanitarian concerns, leaving thousands displaced and in need of urgent assistance. Similar patterns of violence and displacement persist in parts of Cameroon and the Central Africa Republic.

The European Union said the latest funding shows its continued commitment to saving lives, alleviating suffering, and supporting recovery efforts in one of the world’s most fragile regions.