Concerns as UN humanitarian agency set to shut down operations in Nigeria

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has disclosed plans to shut down its operations in Nigeria amid the country’s daunting humanitarian challenges. Professor Nentawe Goshwe, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, announced the development. Professor Goshwe spoke at a Validation Workshop on the Anticipatory Action Framework for Nigeria, held at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser, Abuja. He quoted the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Fall, as having informed him about the decision to leave Nigeria. ALSO READ: Peter Obi lambasts Benue govt for blocking visit to IDP camps While decrying the impact of flood disasters and insecurity on Nigerian livelihoods, the minister commended UNOCHA for its interventions in the country, especially in the conflict-affected states in the North East. Professor Goshwe described UNOCHA’s decision to pull out of Nigeria as unfortunate, considering the sheer humanitarian challenges still being experienced across the country. However, the minister reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to tackling the menace of floods and other disasters in the country. The development followed an earlier announcement by the UN’s emergency and disaster response agency that it would reduce its global workforce by 20% and scale back operations in nine countries. As Tom Fletcher, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stated, the move comes as the agency confronts a severe funding crisis and escalating global needs. Fletcher explained “brutal cuts” driven by a nearly $60 million funding shortfall for 2025, compounded by rising humanitarian demands. ALSO READ: Meet Tinubu’s Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Yusuf Sununu He said OCHA will withdraw from or adjust operations in Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Zimbabwe, and aim to prioritise “dynamic and full responses” in remaining locations where it operates.