EU, UN Push Nigeria to Mobilise More Local Funds as Joint Projects Top $500m

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have called on the Nigerian government to mobilise more domestic resources to bridge the country’s development and humanitarian funding gaps.

Both organisations warned that international assistance must be matched with stronger national ownership and more effective project delivery.

The call came as EU disclosed that its partnership with the UN supported projects worth more than $400 million annually in Nigeria, with a portfolio of about 32 EU-funded projects valued more than $500 million, being implemented in collaboration with 16 UN agencies.

EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, speaking after a meeting to review the partnership, said the two institutions were committed to improving the impact of their interventions amid mounting questions about international solidarity, development assistance, and the future of multilateral cooperation.

Mignot said the review was aimed not only at renewing the partnership but also identifying implementation gaps, improving coordination, and ensuring that assistance translated into tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians.

He said, “This meeting was a clear indication that we need to work together and have the government of Nigeria increase its engagement and mobilisation of domestic resources to address the development gap and the humanitarian assistance need in the country.”

The appeal placed domestic financing and government ownership at the centre of discussions about how Nigeria could sustain development programmes, respond to humanitarian emergencies, and make better use of international support.

According to Mignot, EU-UN partnership combines European financial contributions and grants with United Nations’ technical expertise and operational presence on the ground.

He said the arrangement also involved Nigerian authorities at both federal and state levels to ensure that projects aligned with the country’s development strategies rather than being operated independent of national priorities.

He stated, “Beyond even the financial support, which in Nigeria translates into projects that value more than $400 million a year, we are still having a strong strategic partnership.”

Mignot explained that the collaboration had become increasingly important as the international landscape changed and multilateral institutions faced questions about their ability to sustain cooperation, development assistance, and humanitarian support.

He said EU and UN remained committed to international solidarity and collective action, adding that periodic reviews are necessary to address challenges and strengthen the delivery of joint programmes.

Providing details of the partnership, Mignot said EU and UN had reviewed a portfolio of approximately 32 projects worth more than $500 million, involving 16 UN agencies.

The projects brought together EU funding and UN’s technical and political expertise, with Nigerian authorities participating in the broader partnership.

He said the objective was to ensure that the resources committed to Nigeria translated into effective interventions and measurable benefits for citizens.

The official did not provide a breakdown of the portfolio by sector or clarify the period covered by the more-than-$500 million valuation. The figure, therefore, represents the reported value of the project portfolio, rather than a confirmed annual disbursement.

Mignot also did not provide a breakdown of the more than $400 million in annual project value by programme, beneficiary group, or state.

Nevertheless, he stressed that the effectiveness of the partnership would ultimately depend on its ability to deliver results on the ground.

“We are strong believers in a multilateralism that delivers, that delivers for the people and is efficient on the ground,” he said.

The EU official said the bloc’s investment priorities in Nigeria were guided by its Global Gateway Strategy, which seeks to mobilise investments while supporting sectors considered essential to sustainable development.

He identified education, governance, democracy, human rights and security as important enablers of investment.

Mignot stated that economic opportunities required an environment in which institutions functioned effectively and communities could benefit from development.

The emphasis on security also reflects its importance to the implementation of projects and the ability of development partners to reach intended beneficiaries.

The official said EU would continue to work with UN and Nigerian authorities to support the priorities, with the partnership serving as a mechanism for combining funding, technical capacity, and coordination.

He added that the relationship went beyond financial assistance, providing a strategic framework for responding to development and humanitarian challenges through international cooperation.

The call for increased domestic resource mobilisation signals the importance the partners attach to Nigeria’s capacity to complement external assistance with resources generated within the country.

While international funding can support projects in education, governance, and humanitarian response, the sustainability of such interventions also depends on national financing, effective institutions, and coordination between governments and development partners.

The EU official said the review was intended to determine where the partnership needed improvement, which challenges remained unresolved, and how both institutions could strengthen implementation.

He said cooperation with federal and state authorities was central to ensuring that projects reflected Nigeria’s priorities and addressed the needs of citizens.

The meeting also reaffirmed EU and UN’s commitment to multilateralism at a time when international cooperation and development assistance faced growing scrutiny.

For ordinary Nigerians, the central test of the partnership will be whether its substantial project portfolio translates into better access to essential services, stronger public institutions, improved livelihoods, and more effective humanitarian assistance.

Mignot said the partners would continue to work towards more effective delivery. He stressed that the ultimate purpose of international cooperation was to produce tangible results for people rather than merely sustain agreements between institutions.