The European Union (EU) has earmarked €557 million for Nigeria and other African countries as part of its €1.9 billion humanitarian aid budget for 2026.
The allocation, announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, prioritises West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and North-West Nigeria. A separate €14.6 million has been set aside for North Africa.
The move comes amid a global humanitarian crisis affecting 239 million people, even as major donors reduce their contributions. European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the EU remains committed to principled, needs-based aid, focusing on emergency food, shelter, healthcare, protection for vulnerable populations, and education for children affected by conflict and displacement.
Beyond Africa, the EU has allocated €448 million to the Middle East, €145 million to Ukraine, €8 million to Moldova, €126 million to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, €95 million to Central and South America and the Caribbean, and €73 million to Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Over €415 million has been reserved for sudden-onset emergencies and maintaining a strategic humanitarian supply chain.
Lahbib will present the EU’s 2026 funding commitment at the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging private sector involvement to help bridge the widening gap between humanitarian needs and available resources.
“The humanitarian system is under unprecedented strain, and public funding alone will not meet the scale of the crisis”, she said.
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