…US, UK, Germany Among Biggest Donors
…Health, Education, Governance Received Largest Share Of Aid
Nigeria received approximately $37.8bn in net Official Development Assistance (ODA) from members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) between 2015 and 2024, according to data from the OECD.
The amount is equivalent to about 76.4 per cent of Nigeria’s N68.32tn ($49.45bn) 2026 national budget, underscoring the scale of international financial support the country has attracted over the past decade.
The sustained inflow reflects continued international engagement with Africa’s most populous nation as it grapples with insecurity, humanitarian crises, weak healthcare systems, education deficits and broader economic development challenges.
Annual net ODA inflows ranged from about $2.9bn in 2015 to a peak of nearly $4.7bn in 2022, averaging approximately $3.8bn annually over the 10-year period.
The United States remained one of Nigeria’s largest bilateral development partners throughout the decade, while the United Kingdom, Germany, France and European Union institutions consistently ranked among the country’s leading donors.
Multilateral organisations, particularly the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the Global Fund and Gavi, frequently topped the list of contributors, highlighting the importance of coordinated international support.
OECD data obtained by THE WHISTLER also showed that Nigeria’s population increased from 191 million in 2015 to 233 million in 2024, while Gross National Income (GNI) per capita fluctuated during the period, reinforcing the continued relevance of external assistance despite the country’s drive towards greater economic self-reliance.
The country’s ODA-to-GNI ratio also rose significantly, reaching 2.28 per cent in 2024.
The development assistance has supported humanitarian response, healthcare, agriculture, governance reforms, education, energy access and peacebuilding initiatives.
The figures are based on OECD-DAC statistics updated in 2026.
Beyond long-term development assistance, humanitarian funding has also remained significant.
Since the beginning of 2026, Nigeria has received at least $247.3m in humanitarian funding, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Of the total, $232.8m was channelled through Nigeria’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.
According to OCHA’s latest West and Central Africa Regional Funding Status report covering the period ending June 22, 2026, the funding met 47 per cent of Nigeria’s $516.4m humanitarian requirement, representing the second-highest funding coverage among the eight crisis-affected countries reviewed.
Separate data from the US Foreign Assistance Report, analysed by civic organisation BudgIT, showed that the United States alone provided approximately $8.9bn in foreign assistance to Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, with annual disbursements peaking at $1.03bn in 2023.
Much of the funding supported health programmes, humanitarian interventions, governance reforms and development initiatives.
Despite receiving billions of dollars in development assistance over the past decade, Nigeria continues to face major development challenges:
BudgIT, recently, questioned the transparency and impact of decades of foreign aid.
“For all the billions committed, Nigerians should be able to find answers. Too often, they can’t,” the organisation said.
“Where did the money go? Who managed it? What difference did it make?
“Those questions matter because foreign aid is not free money. It often comes with conditions, priorities and strategic interests that may not always align with Nigeria’s most pressing needs.
“Every dollar should be traceable. Aid should be judged not by the dollars committed, but by the impact it leaves behind.”
Meanwhile, future US assistance to Nigeria could face significant restrictions following the passage of a spending bill by the US House of Representatives.
The House, on July 15, passed the National Security, Department of State and Related Programs Appropriations Act for the 2027 fiscal year by a vote of 217 to 209.
The legislation contains a provision to withhold 100 per cent of US foreign assistance to Nigeria until the US government certifies that the Nigerian government is taking effective steps to protect Christians and other vulnerable communities from targeted violence.
The measure still requires approval by the US Senate and the President before it can become law and therefore does not immediately affect ongoing US assistance to Nigeria.
The concerns over aid effectiveness and future funding come as humanitarian agencies warn that conditions across northern Nigeria continue to deteriorate.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) recently warned that worsening insecurity and declining humanitarian funding are pushing northern Nigeria into its most severe hunger crisis in almost a decade.
According to the agency, renewed attacks have displaced communities, restricted humanitarian access and cut millions of people off from food assistance.
The latest Cadre Harmonisé food security analysis estimates that more than 17 million people across nine conflict-affected northern states are facing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity—almost two million more people than projected previously.
Meanwhile, the World Bank says poverty remains widespread despite nearly three years of economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
According to the bank’s newly approved Country Partnership Framework (2026–2032) and its accompanying Streamlined Country Diagnostic, about 79 per cent of Nigerians are either poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty.
The report states that 33 per cent of Nigerians are ultra-poor, 61 per cent live below the poverty line, while 79 per cent are either poor or at risk of slipping back into poverty.
Although the World Bank acknowledged that recent macroeconomic reforms have improved economic stability and strengthened investor confidence, it noted that the gains have yet to translate into meaningful improvements in living standards for most Nigerians.
Education indicators also remain troubling. Estimates show that between 15 million and 20 million Nigerian children are out of school, one of the highest out-of-school populations globally, illustrating the scale of the country’s human capital challenges despite years of international development support.
(The Whistler)