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The European Union and the United Nations have reaffirmed their strategic partnership in Nigeria, with 475 million Euros in EU-funded projects being implemented by UN agencies to support development, humanitarian interventions, peace and security.
The commitment was renewed at an EU-UN strategic engagement in Abuja, where both organisations assessed opportunities for deeper cooperation amid mounting pressure on multilateralism and concerns over Nigeria’s economic recovery translating into improved living conditions.
Ambassador of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said the ongoing EU-funded projects implemented by UN agencies in Nigeria, including regional initiatives managed from the country, covered 32 projects.
He said the engagement provided an opportunity for EU member states and UN agencies to strengthen relations, reaffirm support for the United Nations and identify areas for future cooperation.
Mignot stressed that defending multilateralism must go beyond preserving existing structures, noting growing calls for more inclusive representation, improved access to finance, climate resilience and measurable development outcomes.
He also called for UN reforms that would improve efficiency and delivery while strengthening representation, national ownership and the legitimacy of the multilateral system.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, described the EU and its member states as critical partners at a time when international solidarity and the founding principles of the United Nations face increasing pressure.
Fall said the dialogue reflected a shared commitment to strengthening consultations at both global and national levels.
On Nigeria’s economy, he acknowledged improvements in macroeconomic indicators, including broader economic growth in the first half of 2026, supported by agriculture and manufacturing, as well as a decline in inflation compared with early 2025.
He also cited improved fiscal revenues and increased allocations to states as opportunities to expand investment in development and public services.
However, Fall warned that the gains had yet to translate sufficiently into better living conditions for vulnerable households.
“The central challenge is to translate economic stabilisation into jobs, increased productivity, stronger public services and reduced poverty,” he said.
He said Nigeria’s natural resources, resilient population, private sector, creative industries and innovation ecosystem offered significant opportunities for growth, but stressed that these strengths must deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
Fall called for stronger domestic revenue mobilisation, productive private-sector investment, more effective institutions and greater investment in human capital, particularly among young people.
On humanitarian assistance, he said the UN was supporting Nigeria’s transition towards greater government leadership and domestic financing of humanitarian action, while cautioning against interpreting the shift as evidence that humanitarian needs had diminished.
“A humanitarian transition does not mean that humanitarian needs have disappeared,” he said, adding that the process should strengthen national systems and financing without compromising assistance and protection for vulnerable people.
Fall also highlighted the domestication of the Kampala Convention as an important legal foundation for protecting and assisting internally displaced persons, stressing the need for effective implementation.
The meeting brought together EU ambassadors and heads of UN agencies in Nigeria. The annual engagement mirrors high-level consultations between the UN Secretary-General and the President of the European Commission. The EU remains the leading donor to UN programmes in Nigeria.
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