From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has said the EU has not cut down on humanitarian assistance to Nigeria in a bid to address food insecurity.
The delegation, in a statement by its Press and Information Officer, Modestus Chukwulaka, said the response became necessary, following a statement published on July 25 by a nongovernmental organisation, MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières; Doctors Without Borders), mentioning alleged ‘massive cuts’ by the EU, among other international donors, in response to the nutrition insecurity in Nigeria.
“The EU delegation in Nigeria would like to communicate that this information is unsubstantiated and inaccurate, as the level of EU humanitarian support granted by the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Office (ECHO) in Nigeria in the first half of 2025 has, in fact, been similar to the one provided in the first half of 2024. And as done in previous years, the EU is working to increase the amount with additional top ups. Like in 2024, a significant part of ECHO assistance in Nigeria focused on nutrition, health and food assistance emergencies.
“The EU delegation takes note of the revised version of the statement published today by MSF, which eliminates the mention of the European Union when speaking of massive cuts by international donors. While commending the work performed by MSF teams, partly through the EU funding, to help malnourished children and their mothers in Nigeria, as witnessed by the EU Ambassador during his recent visit to Sokoto State on July 19 and 20, the EU delegation underlines the importance of communicating verified and accurate information on this matter of utmost importance for the Nigerian people,” the EU said.
The EU further reiterated the call by the EU Ambassador, during his July 22 joint press conference with the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, as well as humanitarian partners, to urgently enhance resources from domestic and international sources to address the emergency nutrition situation particularly in North West and North East Nigeria.
“The EU delegation wishes, once more, to highlight that the EU is keeping its financial commitments and its general level of support across board in the framework of its partnership with Nigeria,” the statement read.
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