Doro seeks stronger EU alliance, pushes new humanitarian reform as global aid shrinks
By Maureen Aguta
Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, has called for sustained international humanitarian financing and deeper strategic collaboration with the European Union, warning that declining global aid resources make stronger partnerships essential for protecting vulnerable populations.
The minister made the appeal during high-level meetings in Brussels, Belgium, with Members of the European Parliament, Leire Pajín and Hana Jalloul Muro, as well as senior European Union officials, where discussions focused on humanitarian response, social protection and poverty reduction.
According to a statement issued on his behalf by his Senior Technical Adviser on Information Systems and Data Analysis, Dr. Abimbola Fasanu, the engagements centred on strengthening cooperation between Nigeria and the EU amid growing humanitarian and development challenges.
Doro argued that governments and development partners must make more efficient use of shrinking development resources by replacing fragmented interventions with coordinated, results-oriented systems capable of delivering sustainable outcomes.
At the centre of Nigeria’s presentation was the One Humanitarian–One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS), the Federal Government’s flagship reform designed to integrate humanitarian assistance, social protection and poverty reduction under a single national framework.
The minister described the initiative as a transformative model that would improve coordination among stakeholders, eliminate duplication of interventions, strengthen accountability and create sustainable pathways from vulnerability to resilience and economic prosperity.
“Our objective is to build smarter systems that maximize available resources and deliver lasting impact for vulnerable communities. Through stronger coordination and strategic partnerships, we can achieve greater efficiency and better development outcomes,” Doro said.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s worsening humanitarian situation, pointing to the combined effects of insecurity, internal displacement, food insecurity and climate-related shocks, which continue to place millions of Nigerians in need of assistance.
While noting that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expanded social protection, humanitarian response and economic empowerment programmes under the Renewed Hope Agenda, Doro stressed that the scale of current challenges requires sustained collaboration among governments, humanitarian agencies, development partners and the wider international community.
The minister called for increased investment in durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs), including skills acquisition, livelihood support, social inclusion and community resilience programmes that enable displaced people to rebuild their lives with dignity.
He also sought stronger cooperation through technical assistance, institutional capacity building, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships to support the implementation of OHOPRS and strengthen Nigeria’s humanitarian architecture.
Doro welcomed the European Union’s continued commitment to humanitarian action and expressed optimism that ongoing discussions on future humanitarian financing would bolster efforts to protect vulnerable populations, support host communities and promote long-term resilience.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to working closely with the European Union and other development partners to build more coordinated, evidence-based and sustainable humanitarian systems capable of responding effectively to emerging challenges while accelerating poverty reduction nationwide.