The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EU

  • EU removes Nigeria from terrorism financing list

    EU removes Nigeria from terrorism financing list

    • ‘It’s a boost for nation’s financial standing

    The Federal Government has lauded European Union (EU)’s removal of Nigeria’s from the high-risk and terrorism financing list.

    The decision is contained in a European Commission Delegated Regulation amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1675.

    It follows Nigeria’s removal in October 2025 from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list of Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring after completing its Action Plan.

    The Federal Government described the removal of Nigeria from the European Union’s list of high-risk third countries for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) as a major boost to the country’s global financial credibility.

    Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Manga, said in a statement that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, attributed the action to the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    According to Edun, the milestone reflects the President’s “extraordinary leadership, unwavering political will and clear reform vision,” which prioritised AML/CFT reforms as a core element of Nigeria’s economic governance and financial stability agenda.

    He said the administration ensured strong inter-agency coordination, sustained engagement with international partners and the implementation of critical legal, regulatory and institutional reforms to address deficiencies previously identified in Nigeria’s AML/CFT framework.

    The European Commission, in its assessment, concluded that Nigeria had strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime and addressed identified technical and strategic gaps, leading to its removal from the EU high-risk list.

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    Edun said the development would ease enhanced due diligence requirements for Nigerian individuals, businesses and financial institutions dealing with European counterparts, improve correspondent banking relationships, boost investor confidence and further integrate Nigeria into the global financial system.

    He also commended financial sector regulators, law enforcement agencies, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, supervisory bodies, the judiciary and private sector operators for their roles in achieving the reforms.

    The minister added that Nigeria would sustain the momentum by deepening reforms and strengthening engagement with the FATF, the EU and other international partners to ensure a resilient, transparent and globally aligned financial system.

    The Federal Government said Nigeria’s removal from both the FATF grey list and the EU’s high-risk list sends a strong positive signal to the international community and underscores ongoing efforts to improve financial governance under the Tinubu administration.

  • Enugu, EU deepen strategic ties, roll out new energy, education projects

    Enugu, EU deepen strategic ties, roll out new energy, education projects

    The Enugu State Government and the European Union (EU) have agreed to scale up their collaboration across key sectors, especially education, energy, health and youth empowerment.

    This emerged at the weekend during a courtesy visit to Governor Peter Mbah by a high-level EU delegation at the Government House, Enugu.

    The delegation, led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, also included the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Pieter Leenknegt, and the Portuguese Ambassador, Mr. Paulos Martins dos Santos, among other senior diplomats.

    Mignot said the EU was committed to strengthening cooperation in ways that align with Mbah’s ambitious reform agenda.

    “The purpose of the visit is to meet you and talk about the partnership between the European Union and Enugu State, its potential, and your vision for the future,” he stated.

    He highlighted ongoing EU-supported projects in the state, particularly in the energy and education sectors.

    “On energy, Enugu is one of seven states benefiting from the Solar for Health Project, under which we will provide technical assistance and funding for 20 solar microgrids that will power 20 primary health centres and 124 SMEs,” he said.

    The envoy also listed the Small Hydro Power for Agro-industrial Sectors Project, implemented by UNIDO, and the Nigeria Energy Support Programme executed by GIZ, which includes electrification support, capacity building and funding for three interconnected minigrids with a combined 1MW capacity for up to 1,000 beneficiaries.

    On education, Mignot announced that Enugu is one of the beneficiary states in the EU-UNESCO programme, Education and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria, Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS), which will train teachers in Smart Green Schools until June 2028.

    He further noted the EU’s partnership with the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival held annually in Enugu, saying the 2025 edition included grants and training for emerging filmmakers.

    Belgian Ambassador Leenknegt underscored Belgium’s longstanding economic ties with Enugu, particularly through Emenite Limited, a Nigeria–Belgium joint venture established in 1961.

    “They are delivering high-quality products and employing more than 300 people from the region. We will continue to foster this relationship,” he said.

    Portugal’s Ambassador, Martins dos Santos, highlighted his country’s interests in energy, infrastructure and agriculture, noting that “the footprint of the European Union in this country is huge and multidimensional.”

    Responding, Governor Mbah thanked the EU for its alignment with his administration’s developmental priorities, particularly in education, health and energy.

    “I have seen a huge alliance between our vision and the aims of the EU, especially regarding your programmes across Africa,” he said, noting that Enugu’s decision to allocate over 33% of its budget to education was to secure the state’s future competitiveness.

    Mbah invited EU member countries to explore new investment opportunities in aviation, gas and energy, disclosing that the state-owned carrier, Enugu Air, had been launched, and that the international wing of Akanu Ibiam International Airport would soon become fully operational.

    “That means more international carriers will fly from Enugu. We encourage you to speak to your home carriers to consider Enugu,” he said.

    He added that the state was working with the Federal Government to extend gas pipelines to Enugu to unlock economic opportunities in the gas subsector.

    “We are open for business and will continue to ensure that investments and businesses thrive in Enugu State,” Mbah assured.

  • UN, EU pledge support for improved human rights protection in Nigeria

    UN, EU pledge support for improved human rights protection in Nigeria

    The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have pledged their support for efforts aimed at strengthening human rights protection in the country.

    They commended the effort of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for its consistent promotion of human rights in the country and for ensuring that cases of rights violations are addressed.

    The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, and the Deputy Head, European Union (EU) Delegate to Nigeria, Zissimos Vergos, spoke for both organisations in Abuja on Monday during the unveiling of NHRC’s 30th anniversary logo as part of activities marking the commission’s 30 years of existence.

    Fall said, “For us in the UN family, it is a thing of joy to join in this celebration of 30 years of courage, 30 years of service, 30 years of unwavering commitment to human dignity.”

    He noted that the NHRC was established to guarantee the rights enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and in the global treaty and the regional framework for the protection of human rights.

    Fall observed that the NHRC has grown from a little beginning to become a pillar of justice for every Nigerian who seeks protection from rights violations and every Nigerian who seeks justice for rights abuses.

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    He added, “Looking up to the next years, may the National Human Rights Commission deepen its legacy, strengthen its partnership and advance human rights to every corner of Nigeria, for every Nigerian and for everyone who finds home in this great nation.

    “May the National Human Rights Commission continue to be a beacon of justice for every Nigerian and for everyone who calls this land home,” Fall said.

    Vergos noted that as Nigeria continues on a dynamic path of development and reform, the NHRC’s work is more crucial now than ever before.

    He said the NHRC must see itself as a vital bridge between the citizens and the government, providing a mechanism for redress and providing succour for victims of rights violations.

    Vergos equally noted that the responsibility of the commission transcends the protection of individuals’ rights, but extends to the promotion of peace for the stability and development of the country.

    He said the EU is proud to associate with the NHRC and assured of his organisation’s continued support for the activities of the commission.

    NHRC’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), noted that the commission has come a long way and has greatly evolved to become a reference point in rights protection.

    Ojukwu said it was the aspiration of the management of the commission to elevate it to a level where it would become a leading human rights commission in Africa.

    He sought media support for the commission’s assignment and spoke against the abuse of journalists’ rights.

    Ojukwu said, “As we commemorate the 2025 International Day to End Impunity Against Journalists, we must also confront the troubling realities facing our media community.

    “The commission strongly condemns any attempts aimed at shrinking the civic space, the increasing wave of violence, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests targeting journalists across the country.

    “Attacks on journalists are attacks on our democracy and on the public right to know. The NHRC remains steadfast in its mission to protect the rights of media professionals and to ensure accountability for perpetrators of such violations.

    “Going forward, the commission will intensify its efforts to monitor and document violations against journalists, while deepening collaboration with media organisations, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), civil society organizations, and international partners.

    “Together, we aim to enhance safety awareness and establish rapid response mechanisms for the protection of journalists,” Ojukwu said.

  • EU deploys 687 observers to monitor Anambra Gov election

    EU deploys 687 observers to monitor Anambra Gov election

    The European Union has deployed 687 observers to monitor Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra state.

    The organisation reaffirmed commitment to credible, peaceful, and inclusive electoral processes in Nigeria through the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme.

    It explained that through the EU-SDGN) programme, it is enabling its civil society partners to deploy election observers, strengthen peacebuilding, advance disability and gender inclusion, counter misinformation, and reinforce public confidence in the democratic process.

    Seven of the 16 EU-SDGN implementing partners, including The Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), Nigeria Women Trust Fund (NWTF), ElectHER, and TAF Africa, are already on ground in Anambra State.

    The EU explained that these partners are operating from a Unified Election Observation Hub designed to ensure coherence, message alignment, and shared visibility throughout the poll.

    “The key feature of this unified deployment is to obtain a broad view of the election by utilising the diverse skills and experience of the EU-SDGN partners, analyse the findings, and compile them into a comprehensive report that will be made public and available to all stakeholders.

    “In total, the programme is deploying 687 observers across Anambra State, working in coordinated clusters that cover election integrity, disability inclusion, gender participation, peacebuilding, media and misinformation tracking, logistics observation, and real-time data reporting,” the EU cohort said.

    It added: “This is one of the most extensive civil society-led observer deployments ever recorded for a state election in Nigeria. Each cluster is collecting evidence from a different angle. When those findings are merged, they offer a fuller, verifiable picture of the election that no single organisation could produce alone.

    “The observers are distributed across several thematic areas, including election integrity and results verification; disability inclusion with trained observers and stand-alone sign language interpreters; gender participation with observers tracking women-related issues; media and misinformation tracking through journalists and fact-checkers deployed across polling locations; peacebuilding and conflict prevention; and the monitoring of polling logistics and the distribution of sensitive election materials.

    “This election is an opportunity to demonstrate that inclusion and credibility are shared democratic standards. Working from a single hub enables us to coordinate evidence, avoid duplication, and deliver a unified assessment of the process.”

    Earlier this week, the EU-SDGN programme supported the signing of the Anambra Election Peace Accord involving all candidates and political parties.

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    “The Peace Accord is not the conclusion, but the beginning of responsibility. Candidates must not only sign for peace, but act peacefully and respect the will of the voters, the EU cohort stated.

    According to the cohort, ahead of the governorship election, the EU-SDGN programme also presented a Joint Pre-Election Assessment Report.

    The report analysed the political climate, security risks, media environment, and levels of gender and disability inclusion, and offered 66 actionable recommendations to strengthen electoral credibility, voter access, and institutional preparedness.

    The EU-SDGN is an EU-funded Nigerian civil society-led programme working to strengthen credible, inclusive, and peaceful elections across the country.

    “The Kukah Centre leads on peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue; Yiaga Africa anchors election observation and data-driven civic participation; IPC and CEMESO strengthen media professionalism and safety while advancing media monitoring and counter-misinformation efforts; the NWTF and ElectHER drive women’s political inclusion and leadership, promoting greater representation of young women in elective office; while TAF Africa champions disability rights and inclusive electoral participation for persons with disabilities,” it added.

  • Nigeria, EU, UNICEF partner on €6.3m project to boost local health commodity production

    Nigeria, EU, UNICEF partner on €6.3m project to boost local health commodity production

    The federal government has entered into a new partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for local production of vaccines, medicines, and nutrition commodities.

    The two-year initiative, Enabling Local Manufacturing of Health, Immunisation and Nutrition Commodities in Nigeria (ELM-N), is part of the EU’s Global Gateway Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+) programme, valued at €6.3 million, with the EU contributing €5.5 million and Spain providing an additional €800,000.

    The agreement, which was formalised at the Nigeria-EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, seeks to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported health products by enhancing local manufacturing, improving supply-chain efficiency, strengthening regulatory systems, and fostering technology transfer and innovation.

    The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, described the initiative as a major step in Nigeria’s plan to build a stronger, more competitive pharmaceutical sector and attract sustainable investment.

    “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to aligning investments with clear policy priorities and measurable outcomes. 

    “It will expand opportunities for local production, facility financing, and technology transfer, positioning Nigeria as a regional hub for health innovation, research, and development,” Bagudu said.

    EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, who represented Team Europe, said the Global Gateway strategy aims to transition partnerships from aid-based support to strategic, investment-driven collaboration.

    “Through MAV+, we are supporting manufacturers, governments, academic institutions, and other key stakeholders in advancing local production. 

    “This represents a shift toward peer-to-peer partnerships between Europe and West Africa,” Mignot said.

    Additionally, Spain’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Félix Costales Artieda, noted that the collaboration would not only advance local manufacturing but also enhance equitable access to essential health commodities across the ECOWAS subregion.

    “This project marks an important milestone in unlocking Nigeria’s healthcare value chain and boosting health security,” he said.

    Representing the United Nations (UN) system, UNICEF’s Representative to Nigeria, Wafaa Abdelate, who spoke on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator, highlighted that local production remains vital to achieving universal access to life-saving health products.

    She noted that Nigeria still has more than two million zero-dose children and faces significant maternal health challenges. 

    “It is urgent that investments like this translate into timely, affordable, and safe access to vaccines, medicines, and nutrition products for all Nigerians,” Abdelate added.

    According to the project’s framework, ELM-N will focus on strengthening Nigeria’s health commodity supply chain, promoting innovation in pharmaceutical production, and supporting regulatory harmonisation.

    It will also complement ongoing national reforms aimed at revitalising the local pharmaceutical industry and align with broader EU and multilateral efforts in reproductive, maternal, and child health as well as digital health development.

    Implementation is expected to commence immediately, with stakeholders set to identify potential manufacturers, assess investment needs, and deploy technical assistance to accelerate local production and distribution of essential health commodities.

  • Nigeria, EU sign MoU to establish pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Anambra

    Nigeria, EU sign MoU to establish pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Anambra

    • German pharmaceutical giant Bayer partners Nigeria’s ChroMedix on new facility

    The Federal Government of Nigeria and the European Union, through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), have signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to strengthen healthcare distribution, supply, and local manufacturing in Nigeria.

    Frontlined by an MoU signed between German Pharmaceutical Giant, Bayer, and Nigeria’s ChroMedix to establish a reproductive health products manufacturing facility in Anambra State, the MoUs signed between the European Union and the Federal Government ensure enhanced distribution of pharmaceutical products for the public market in Nigeria; local manufacturing capacity development for essential reproductive health products in Nigeria and articulated technology transfer of selected technologies and/or manufacturing steps to Nigeria.

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    The agreements were formalised during the Nigeria–EU Health Investment Forum in Abuja, themed “Made in Nigeria, Made for Health,” where Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of PVAC, stated that the partnerships would significantly enhance local production of healthcare products, tapping into a market currently valued at $46 billion.

  • EU, Nigeria to strengthen local research capacity

    EU, Nigeria to strengthen local research capacity

    The European Union has said it was engaging with Nigerian institutions to strengthen local research capacity.

    The Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca said this during the University of Lagos (UNILAG) International Week.

    The envoy said that the EU and Nigeria are advancing cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) research and innovation, as both partners work to strengthen the link between scientific inquiry and market-ready solutions across key technology sectors.

    De Luca outlined ongoing efforts to build a structured framework for science, technology, and innovation collaboration between the EU and Nigeria.

    “Our cooperation with the National Universities Commission and the establishment of a research contact point in Nigeria are part of wider efforts to ensure that Nigerian institutions have access to the tools and partnerships required to thrive globally,” he added.

    De Luca said the forthcoming EU–Nigeria Science, Technology and Innovation Agreement will formalise partnerships that enable researchers, universities, and enterprises to jointly explore AI applications relevant to Nigeria’s development priorities and the broader African innovation landscape.

    “The agreement will open new possibilities for research institutions and innovators to work together on areas that matter to both our regions, such as how AI can be used responsibly to address societal challenges, drive productivity, and create inclusive opportunities,” he noted.

    He also highlighted the Generative AI for Africa call for proposals, closing on 31 October, as one of several EU-funded initiatives that encourage cross-continental collaboration in AI development.

    “We want to see Nigerian researchers at the centre of this process, forming networks, exchanging ideas, and leading projects that shape the continent’s innovation ecosystem,” he said.

    Vice – Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof Folasade Ogunsola, commended the EU’s sustained collaboration with Nigerian universities, describing it as a model for mutually beneficial partnerships.

    “Our students and researchers stand to gain from exposure to diverse networks and knowledge systems. This kind of cooperation supports not only innovation but also the institutional growth of our universities,” she said.

    This year’s theme, “Equitable Partnership and the Future of AI in Africa”, reflects a shared vision of collaboration rooted in fairness, reciprocity, and shared responsibility.

    Through initiatives like the forthcoming agreement and ongoing research programmes, both sides are reinforcing their commitment to building inclusive, sustainable, and human-centred innovation ecosystems.

    The dialogue at UNILAG underscored that the future of AI in Africa will depend on partnerships that prioritise shared knowledge, ethical development, and equitable access, principles that define the EU–Nigeria relationship in science and innovation.

  • FG, EU launch €40m education, youth empowerment programme in Northwest

    FG, EU launch €40m education, youth empowerment programme in Northwest

    The Federal Government, in partnership with the European Union (EU), has inaugurated a National Programme Steering Committee (NPSC) to oversee the €40 million education and youth empowerment in Northwest Nigeria (EYEPINN) programme.

    The programme, which is being implemented in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto States, aims to tackle out-of-school children, facilitate teacher development, and promote youth skills acquisition in the Northwest region.

    The committee has the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, as chairman and is co-chaired by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

    They are expected to meet annually to provide strategic guidance, with a secretariat handled by the EU Technical Assistance Team (EU-TAT).

    Also, quarterly technical meetings are planned to monitor progress closely.

    Speaking during the official inauguration of the committee yesterday in Abuja, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abel Enitan, praised the EU’s investment in Nigeria’s education sector, which he said has continued to improve access, equity, quality, and system resilience.

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    Enitan, who was represented by the Director of Poly Education and Allied Institutes, Dr. Usman Ejeh, said: “The EYEPINN project represents one of the most strategic interventions aimed at addressing the persistent challenges of out-of-school children, teacher capacity development, safe learning environments, and skills acquisition for youths in Nigeria’s Northwest region.

    “The EU’s continued support through programmes such as EYEPINN and Expand, Integrate and Strengthen Systems (EISS), reflects a shared commitment to empowering our young people and ensuring that every child, irrespective of gender or background, has the opportunity to learn and thrive.”

    Highlighting the committee’s role in ensuring accountability and integrating results into national policies, he added: “The committee serves not only as a platform for oversight, but also a forum for strategic dialogue to ensure that the collective efforts of all partners are coherent, complementary, and impactful. The success of EYEPINN depends on how well we collaborate, federal, state, and local governments, working hand-in-hand with our international partners.

    “We must ensure that every Euro invested translates into measurable impact, better learning outcomes, empowered teachers, safer schools, and a more resilient education system that leaves no child behind.”

    Team Leader, Human Development, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Leila Ben Amor Mathieu, highlighted the programme’s significance as the delegation’s first standalone education initiative.

    She said: “This is the EU Delegation to Nigeria’s first project solely on education. It is our flagship project. We hadn’t had any before. We really wanted it to be designed in tune with the ministry and to serve the needs of Nigerian people.”

    She said that the EU was committed to remaining a very strong partner to Nigeria, as shown in its commitment for the period of 2021-2027.

    She said: “We have about €800 million for that period only on national programmes, plus another several hundred that benefit Nigeria, but out of regional programme windows.”

    She added that the project would address existing gaps in basic education. “This is a €40 million project that we fund through UNICEF, Plan International, DIME, and also some technical assistance provided to the ministry. We would have loved to add secondary education, but we stopped at basic education, in particular targeting out-of-school children, nomadic education. We worked with the Quranic schools.

    “So, now we should start to see results and be able to deliver results. We have our partners from the World Bank that are also in charge of checking the impact of what we do,” she said.

    UNICEF’s Chief of Education, Vanessa Lee, described the programme as timely, saying: “It came at a critical time in Nigeria’s education reform progress to support both the Federal and the State Ministries of Education and Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) in transforming the education system.”

    Lee said that UNICEF is committed to getting every child learning in Nigeria. “We continue to lead and support in the area of digital data transformation, education financing, reducing the number of out-of-school children, especially through establishing integrated Quranic centres and learning centres, scaling up foundational literacy and numeracy with the government, and providing teachers with school-based professional learning and learning through play teacher professional learning,” she said.

    Similarly, Country Director, Save the Children International, Duncan Harvey, said:  “This is indeed an important step that will encourage and improve the leadership of the overall programme. Every child, no matter their status, no matter where they are living, no matter their gender, ability or disability, every child deserves the right to quality basic education.”

  • EU, stakeholders discuss plans to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition

    EU, stakeholders discuss plans to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition

    The European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, the German Embassy, and the Federal Ministry of Power have commenced talks with other stakeholders to accelerate Nigeria’s energy transition.

    During the inaugural Steering Committee meeting of GET.invest Nigeria, stakeholders outlined priorities and agreed on a road map to scale clean energy deployment in the country.

    The Steering Committee meeting of GET.invest Nigeria is co-chaired by the Federal Ministry of Power, the EU, and the German Embassy.

    Country Coordinator of GET.invest Nigeria, Lawrence Edeeke presented the committee’s composition, which includes the Federal Ministry of Power, Rural Electrification Agency, EU Delegation, BMZ/German Embassy, Central Bank of Nigeria, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Association Alliance (REEEA), and GIZ through its Nigeria Energy Support Programme.

    Deputy EU Ambassador, Zissimos Vergos, described GET.invest Nigeria as “the essential ecosystem to connect aspiring entrepreneurs with financiers.”

    Vergos said it will elevate Nigeria’s green economy to global recognition.

    A representative of the Federal Ministry of Power, Temitope Dina, said: “We want to move from power points to power plants.”

    Dina said that this signals the Federal Government’s resolve to scale up from pilot projects to large-scale clean energy delivery.

    Also, a representative of the German Embassy, Johannes Lehne, called the launch of the committee “a highly symbolic step marking a new phase in Nigeria’s clean energy trajectory.

    A member of Renewable Energy Alliance, Prof. Magnus Oma, highlighted the importance of reducing investment risks through blended finance solutions tailored to Nigerian developers.

    In just nine months, GET.invest Nigeria has received nearly 90 applications from clean energy developers, selecting 35 projects for support.

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    Through its Edge Finance initiative, it has also partnered with five commercial banks – Sterling Bank, First Bank, WEMA, Fidelity, and Ecobank – surpassing its initial target and positioning these institutions as key drivers of Nigeria’s green finance landscape.

    With its Steering Committee now operational, GET.invest Nigeria will provide strategic oversight, align with national energy goals, and ensure effective governance.

    The committee will meet twice annually, with the next session set for February 2026, to review progress and address emerging challenges.

    GET.invest Nigeria is poised to catalyse systemic transformation, strengthening developers, mobilising finance, and accelerating Nigeria’s clean energy transition.

  • EU, Fed Govt demand domestic funding to address malnutrition in North West, North East 

    EU, Fed Govt demand domestic funding to address malnutrition in North West, North East 

    The European Union (EU) and the Federal Government have called for ramping up of domestic funding to address the growing crises of malnutrition in the North-East and North-West regions.

    They also demanded the provision of relief materials for displaced victims in Benue State.

    The EU noted that while issues like climate change and displacement are worsening the crises in the regions, the reduction in funding from international donors is a major source of concern, hence the need to look inwards for more funding support.

    Addressing a joint press briefing at the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot commended the unwavering commitment of the ministry towards the most vulnerable in the country and collaborating with the EU.

    The envoy noted that the EU remains Nigeria’s reliable partner, especially at a time when most international donors are reducing their funding. 

    Mignot said: “The EU is a special partner to Nigeria, especially in a fast-evolving world where partnerships are being reviewed. We are a reliable partner; a partner that keeps its commitments.”

    He explained that the EU is partnering with Nigeria to harness the many opportunities it has for development and prosperity through the Global Gateway Strategy, in particular, offering long-term solutions and supporting long-term developments across the country. 

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    “We are also here when it comes to emergency situations like the one we are discussing today; emergency situations where humanitarian aid is necessary because lives are at stake. The EU has brought about €37 million already for humanitarian assistance this year, and is considering a top-up,” he added.

    Concerning the need to ramp up domestic funding for humanitarian purposes, Amb. Mignot said: “There is a lot of stretch globally on humanitarian assistance. There are many competing crises like in Sudan, the Sahel, Gaza, and others. Therefore, it is difficult to count on additional support from the international community.

    “This means that mobilisation is necessary in Nigeria to raise more domestic support from all sources – federal government, state governments, private sector – to address the needs and prevent a shortage and break in the supply of the therapeutic foods for hundreds of children which might die if we don’t treat them with these therapeutic foods because they are acutely malnourished. In addition, these therapeutic foods are in part produced in Nigeria.

    “This is a call for action. We have distribution networks in place with extremely competent implementing partners. This is a call for action to the public and private sector in Nigeria to come and bring the most needed resources because this cannot wait and has to be done now.”

    Highlighting the EU’s interventions in Benue State for displaced victims and the malnutrition crisis in the North-East and North-West, Amb. Mignot disclosed that the EU has rolled out the Supporting Sustainable and Innovative Social Protection Programmes (SUSI) and Social and Economic Participation of Returnees, as well as the Support to Internally Displaced Persons and  Host Population in North-East Nigeria (SIDPIN) programmes.

    He said: “In Makurdi, we launched the Supporting Sustainable Social Protection Systems in Nigeria (SUSI), which helped to operate the needs assessment to efficiently build the response for the victims. We are now coming up with two more supports: one in terms of immediate humanitarian action of € 0.5million through our humanitarian office. In the longer term, we are coming with durable solutions in livelihoods, housing, to help the reintegration of these IDPs through a project called SIDPIN, which was initially designed to cover Kano, Yobe and Adamawa, but we have extended it to cover Benue State with a €1 million support for durable solutions.”

    Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Nentawe Yilwata commended the efforts and support of the EU to Nigeria. 

    The minister said: “We generously and profoundly appreciate the EU for its contributions to our country, ensuring that all vulnerable persons in the country are all taken care of. We are hopeful that the commitment of the EU and other donor partners and commitment from the federal government will ensure that we receive and give life to our kids.

    “We will work together, hand-in-glove, to ensure that we rescue every soul that needs to be saved in Nigeria. Thank you for your contribution and the money you have given us. This funding will go, in no small way, to saving more lives and reviving more people.

    “This intervention is timely; it is coming at the best time that Nigeria needs it, especially in Benue where livelihood was lost, buildings were destroyed, lives were lost, 810 kids are out of school, and we have over 200 kids within our IDP camp in that community at the risk of malnutrition also. We also have over 100 businesses that have been terminated in those communities and several things that we need to respond to.

    “The Ministry is working on an anticipatory response plan, so that for all these challenges, we can h​ave a basket that can help respond timely to these issues. We are trying to look at getting anticipatory response funds into the budget, so that it could respond to needs linked to malnutrition and support to displaced communities, and also response plans for disasters that are anticipated and unanticipated.”

    Chief Field Services and Emergency, UNICEF Nigeria, Judith Leveillee said: “We are gathered because we have a common understanding that more can be done to ensure that all malnourished children, about 3.5m, who need quality treatment, get it. More needs to be done. We found that nutrition service centres are overstretched.”