The Development Research and Projects Center (dRPC) is offering a lifeline grant to Non-Governmental, (NGOs) in dire need of funding support to cushion the impact of funding cuts by the United States to supporting agencies.

Founding member and Executive Director of dRPC, Dr. Judith Ann-Walker, announced the grant opportunity under the NGOs Support Initiative (NSI) of the Centre in Abuja.

Ann-Walker noted with concern that thousands of local NGOs in Nigeria have had to cancel high-impact activities since January 2025 in response to the recent funding cuts.

She explained that locally registered NGOs that suspended activities on gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, school safety for girls, women’s health, gender based violence, and social justice, will be considered for the grant.

Dr. Ann-Walker pointed out that a lot of local NGOs have been bothered about sustaining their operations because “as we know, the NGOs are the ones that are the grassroots, they reach the people, meet the people, engage the people, and they work for the betterment of the people.

“So it’s in our interest generally as Nigerians to ensure that NGOs do have the resources to be able to continue the good work. So in response to the conjecture, the funding gap that we have seen, the DRPC has taken it upon itself.

“The process of application, selection, and award is an objective one based on performance, past performance, based on filling the criteria that we have put out there.”

She referred all intending beneficiaries to the center’s web page at www.drpcngr.org to read the instructions and criteria for the grant beneficiaries’ selection and to apply for the funds via the electronic mail [email protected].

Earlier, the Director of Project, dRPC, Dr. Stanley Ukpai, noted that the ecosystem for civil society in the last few years has been precarious in Nigeria, and with over 30 years of experience observing the landscape and supporting civil society bodies.

Ukpai said the dRPC, as an intermediary organisation and a project implementing body, has seen the rise and fall of civil society bodies while implementing important and key projects.