The World Food Programme has disclosed that it spent about $5 million, approximately N7.4 billion, on shock response and social protection initiatives in Nigeria in 2025.
The agency’s Acting Country Director, Serigne Loum, made this known during the inauguration of the Shock Responsive Social Protection Technical Working Group and the validation of the Standard Operating Procedure workshop held in Abuja.
The event, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, focused on leveraging social safety nets for emergency and disaster response.
Loum stated that the organisation plans to expand its funding and interventions in 2026 to reach more vulnerable populations. He noted that at least 35 million Nigerians are currently facing food insecurity, with a large proportion located in the North East region.
He explained that in 2024, the programme supported about 70,000 people in Adamawa State affected by flooding through anticipatory assistance, which helped beneficiaries take preventive measures before the disaster occurred.
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According to him, the agency aims to increase that figure to around 80,000 people in 2026, alongside scaling up broader social protection support.
Loum reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to achieving zero hunger by strengthening government systems in social protection, emergency response, anticipatory action, and policy coordination.
He added that although Nigeria has one of the largest social registers of vulnerable households in the region, the country continues to face multiple crises that have placed pressure on disaster response systems and humanitarian efforts.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Olubunmi Olusanya, highlighted ongoing economic challenges, conflicts, floods, and droughts affecting livelihoods and development.
He noted that shock-responsive social protection remains critical in helping the country prepare for and respond to emergencies, while improving coordination, transparency, and efficiency in delivering support to vulnerable populations.
