Norway, FAO pledge $1.4m for North-East recovery efforts

The Norwegian government has committed $1.4 million to the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, of the United Nations to address severe food insecurity affecting communities in Nigeria’s conflict-ridden North-East.

The financial commitment was announced at a signing ceremony held in Abuja on Wednesday, with Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera, emphasizing the urgency of supporting vulnerable populations despite a global decline in development aid.

“We are living in a time when global aid contributions are shrinking. Many countries, due to internal constraints, have had to reduce their aid budgets,” Baera noted. “Despite this, I’m proud to announce that Norway has been able to secure additional funding for FAO operations in Nigeria to help feed those in dire need across several states.”

According to Baera, the $1.4 million will directly support agricultural development and food security efforts in the most affected North-East states—Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Taraba—where conflict and climate challenges have devastated livelihoods.

The FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Kouacou, described the intervention as timely and essential. He stated that the funding would allow the FAO to scale up its operations in the region and empower more local farmers to overcome current food production challenges.

“With this additional support from Norway, we will increase our outreach to affected communities and equip them with the skills, inputs, and tools necessary to recover, produce, and thrive despite ongoing crises,” Kouacou said.

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He added that FAO would also offer technical training and agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and seedlings to enable farmers to increase yields and reduce food shortages. Kouacou stressed that every dollar would be efficiently utilized to support sustainable agricultural practices and combat hunger.

“We have already supported over 700,000 people in the North-East through various agricultural interventions,” Kouacou explained. “Earlier this year, we had initially planned to assist 50 farmers but could only reach 25 due to budget constraints. With this funding, we can now expand and help more farmers access what they need to grow their crops and feed their families.”

The FAO says the new funding will help promote not only food production but also climate resilience, as part of a broader effort to support communities coping with the dual impact of armed conflict and environmental degradation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative is part of a wider international push to stabilize and rebuild Nigeria’s North-East after more than a decade of insurgency, displacement, and humanitarian crises.

As the region continues to grapple with insecurity and food scarcity, this latest partnership between Norway and the FAO represents a critical step toward recovery and long-term resilience. Further updates on the implementation phases are expected in the coming weeks.

NAN