The Norwegian government has committed $1.4 million to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to tackle growing food insecurity in Nigeria’s conflict-affected North-East region.
The donation was announced at a signing ceremony in Abuja, where the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria said the support comes despite a global decline in international aid. He highlighted the importance of prioritizing support for vulnerable populations and reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to funding humanitarian and development efforts in Nigeria.
He noted that several countries have had to cut back on foreign aid due to various pressures, but expressed satisfaction that Norway was still able to mobilise additional funds to support those in need across several northern states.
In response, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS welcomed the financial assistance, pledging to scale up agricultural recovery in crisis-hit communities. He said the FAO would provide technical support and training to enable farmers to increase food production and build resilience against natural disasters and ongoing insecurity.
He further noted that while earlier plans to support 50 farmers were hampered by limited funding—reaching only 25—this new donation will allow FAO to expand support, particularly in the distribution of fertilisers and seedlings.
He emphasised that the funding will directly support efforts to end hunger in the region and assured that every dollar received will be used to achieve food security goals.
So far, over 700,000 people in the region have benefitted from FAO’s agricultural interventions. The new Norwegian funding will target Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Taraba States, aiming to strengthen local food systems and improve climate resilience in one of the most food-insecure zones in Nigeria.
