EU commits €15m to support IDPs in five Nigerian states

The European Union (EU) has committed 15 million euros to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) and provide durable solutions in Yobe, Adamawa, Benue, Kano, and Sokoto States.

EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, announced the funding in Abuja during the launch of two initiatives: the EU Support for Internally Displaced Persons in Yobe, Adamawa, Benue and Kano States (SIDPIN), and the EU Support for Protection, Assistance and Durable Solutions in Sokoto (SPADS).

Mignot said the programmes reflect the EU’s strong commitment to advancing human dignity, resilience, and sustainable development for displaced persons and their host communities.

“These initiatives will be implemented in collaboration with the Federal and State authorities, alongside our partners—the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UN-Habitat, UNHCR, and the Danish Refugee Council,” he explained.

“The focus will be on local integration in urban and urbanising areas through a multi-scale, area-based approach.”

He stressed that the projects will prioritise women and children while promoting durable solutions for displacement.

“Our aim is to improve the living conditions of displaced populations and host communities through sustainable local urban integration approaches that are replicable and scalable,” he said.

Mignot noted that displacement remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing humanitarian challenges, particularly in the Northeast, North Central, and Northwest, where over 3.5 million people have been affected.

“These are not just numbers,” he said.

“They represent lives interrupted, dreams deferred, families torn from their homes and futures.”

He added that while some displaced persons wish to return to their homes, insecurity makes this impossible for many.

“Others have chosen to remain in resettled communities—a decision he described as “a respectable personal choice.”