Nigeria Calls for Shift from Short-Term Aid to Sustainable Humanitarian Solutions Amid Funding Cuts

Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged stakeholders to embrace long-term, sustainable approaches to addressing the country’s humanitarian challenges, as traditional aid flows continue to shrink.

Delivering a keynote at the Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF) Dialogue Series in Abuja on Thursday—through Ene Odusuyi, his Technical Adviser on Policy Review and Intergovernmental Relations—Mr. Yilwatda stressed that “the growing scale of humanitarian needs continues to outpace available resources, both globally and nationally.”

Themed “Accountability in Action: Advancing Durable Solutions for Crisis-Affected Populations Amid Dwindling Aid,” the forum convened government officials, international and local NGOs, UN agencies, civil society, and the media to chart a new path for humanitarian response.

Mr. Yilwatda highlighted the protracted insurgency in the North-East, which has displaced 2.3 million people, alongside escalating crises in the North-West and North-Central caused by banditry and violence. He noted that the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan projects $910 million will be required to support 3.6 million people in affected states, yet global donor contributions are steadily declining.

“Nigeria has now been classified by the United Nations as an ‘accelerated transition country,’ meaning the traditional international humanitarian architecture will soon be dismantled,” he warned. “Behind these statistics are real people—families displaced, and communities striving to rebuild amid enormous loss.”

Despite these challenges, the Minister reassured participants of government’s commitment to collaborate with partners to ensure that “no one is left behind.”

Calls for inclusivity and accountability

Trond Jensen, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nigeria, underscored the importance of accountability and inclusivity in designing aid interventions. “We must prioritise the most vulnerable—often women and girls—and ensure they are given power and choices. They need what they actually want, not what we assume they need,” he said.

He also stressed closer collaboration between humanitarian and development actors to reduce long-term dependence on foreign assistance: “As humanitarians, our role is to complement government efforts and enable communities to eventually take over operations.”

Local solutions for resilience

Highlighting homegrown strategies, Chimda Musa, Executive Director of the Rural Agricultural Transformation and Empowerment Initiative (RATEI), shared how displaced women are being integrated into rice farming, processing, and organic fertiliser production. “This social enterprise not only creates sustainability but can be replicated across regions,” she noted.

Media accountability was also spotlighted by Hauwa Nuhu, Managing Editor of Human Angle Magazine, who stressed the media’s responsibility to expose gaps and push for real, durable solutions.

NIF Director, Camilla Higgins, tied the conversation back to funding and trust. “We can’t talk about accountability without mentioning the devastating cuts this year. The loss of U.S. funding has been particularly severe, and donor priorities are shifting. In Nigeria alone, more than 2.3 million people are displaced in the north-east, and 4.6 million face food insecurity nationwide. Our response must be smarter, more accountable, and more sustainable,” she said.

Towards a new humanitarian model

Across the dialogue, one theme was clear: Nigeria must move beyond emergency aid and build systems that empower communities, prioritise inclusivity, and ensure accountability at every stage. While funding gaps pose real risks, participants agreed that strengthening local resilience, amplifying community voices, and forging partnerships between government, NGOs, and citizens will be key to charting a sustainable humanitarian future.