Nigeria Humanitarian Fund

The Nigeria Humanitarian Fund (NHF) which was established in February 2017, is a rapid and flexible funding mechanism supporting national and international NGOs and UN agencies, to respond to the most pressing or critical emergencies in a fast-changing environment. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for Nigeria, the NHF supports the timely allocation and disbursement of donor resources to the most critical humanitarian needs defined in the Nigeria Humanitarian Needs Response Plan (HNRP).

The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria remains among the most severe in the world today. Violence by non-state armed groups and military operations continue to affect millions of people, compounded by climate change, a poorly performing economy and hyperinflation. In 2024, some 7.9 million people need urgent assistance in the country.  

The HC is supported by the Humanitarian Country Team and the NHF Advisory Board. The Board includes representatives of donors, national and international NGOs and UN agencies to ensure decisions reflect views from across the humanitarian community.

The Fund is operationally managed by OCHA’s Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU) based in Maiduguri, Borno State, which ensures that the NHF is managed from the epicenter of the crisis with allocation processes and monitoring close to partners and projects on the ground.

Like all Country-Based Pooled Funds, the NHF is designed to complement other humanitarian funding sources, such as bilateral funding and the Central Emergency Response Fund.