The Federal Government has appealed for increased international humanitarian financing and stronger strategic partnerships to support millions of vulnerable Nigerians affected by poverty, insecurity, displacement, food insecurity and climate-related disasters.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, made the appeal during a series of high-level engagements in Brussels, Belgium, with Members of the European Parliament, Leire Pajín and Hana Jalloul Muro, as well as senior officials of the European Union (EU), where discussions focused on the future of humanitarian financing, social protection and poverty reduction amid declining global development assistance.
According to a statement issued by the Minister’s Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr. Abimbola Fasanu, the meetings were aimed at strengthening strategic collaboration between Nigeria and the European Union to improve humanitarian response systems and mobilise greater international support for vulnerable populations.
Addressing the European lawmakers and development partners, Doro stressed that shrinking global humanitarian resources have made it imperative for governments and donor agencies to adopt more coordinated, efficient and results-driven approaches capable of delivering sustainable outcomes.
He noted that fragmented interventions could no longer adequately address the growing scale and complexity of humanitarian challenges confronting many developing countries, particularly Nigeria, which continues to battle insecurity, internal displacement, food shortages and the increasing impact of climate change.
To address these challenges, the minister presented Nigeria’s flagship reform initiative, the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), describing it as an integrated national framework designed to harmonise humanitarian assistance, social protection and poverty reduction programmes under a single coordinated system.
According to Doro, the initiative is expected to eliminate duplication among implementing agencies and development partners, improve accountability and transparency in the deployment of humanitarian resources, strengthen collaboration across institutions and create sustainable pathways that enable vulnerable Nigerians to transition from dependence on aid to economic resilience and self-reliance.
“Our objective is to build smarter systems that maximise available resources and deliver lasting impact for vulnerable communities.
Through stronger coordination and strategic partnerships, we can achieve greater efficiency and better development outcomes,” the minister said.
He observed that the humanitarian situation in Nigeria remains severe, with millions of citizens requiring urgent assistance due to the combined effects of armed conflict, displacement, economic hardship, food insecurity and environmental shocks.
While highlighting the Federal Government’s ongoing interventions under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Doro said efforts were being intensified to strengthen social protection programmes, expand humanitarian assistance and promote economic empowerment for vulnerable households across the country.
He, however, maintained that the enormity of Nigeria’s humanitarian needs far exceeds available domestic resources, making sustained international financing and technical support essential to achieving meaningful and lasting impact.
The minister further advocated increased investment in durable solutions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including skills acquisition, livelihood support, community reintegration, social inclusion and resilience-building programmes aimed at helping displaced persons rebuild their lives and reduce long-term dependence on humanitarian assistance.
Doro also called for enhanced technical cooperation between Nigeria and its international development partners through institutional capacity building, knowledge exchange, innovation and technical assistance to facilitate the successful implementation of the OHOPRS framework.
He commended the European Union for its longstanding commitment to humanitarian assistance across the world and expressed optimism that ongoing consultations on future humanitarian financing mechanisms would strengthen collective global efforts to protect vulnerable populations, support host communities and build more resilient societies.
The engagements form part of Nigeria’s broader diplomatic and development strategy to deepen international partnerships and mobilise greater support for humanitarian response and poverty reduction as the country confronts rising humanitarian pressures and declining global aid flows.
(The Whistler)
