Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will end its activities in Nigeria in 2026 due to challenges in funding, head of the organisation, Trond Jensen, said.
Jensen however said the organisation will still operate remotely and make periodic deployments to support humanitarian action, local ownership, and long-term resilience despite the funding challenges.
“We are not leaving entirely, but our footprint will shrink,” the official said.
OCHA, which made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni in Damaturu, said major donors have either completely stopped or reduced their funding support by half.
The countries, he said, include the United States which had announced total stoppage of critical funding, the UK with a 40% reduction, as well as Germany and the Netherlands with 50% cuts.
Jensen expressed concern that cuts in critical funding of humanitarian activities came when there was a surge in the need for humanitarian intervention.
He particularly said that presently, the ability of the organisation to treat malnutrition in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states has been reduced by half, just as the number of severely malnourished children has doubled from 500,000 to one million this year.
The UN official said there should be stronger partnerships between local governments and NGOs to fill the gap. He praised Yobe’s Durable Solutions Group for allocating 25% of its budget to displaced populations, and emphasised the need for more efficient transparent systems to sustain operations.
In his response, Governor Buni said Yobe remains committed to rebuilding conflict-affected communities, ensuring returns of IDPs with access to farmlands, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure.
Governor Buni reaffirmed the administration’s readiness to innovate amid the funding gaps.
