The United States Government has provided $32.5 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support food and nutrition programmes in Nigeria.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by Aishah Gambari of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
It explained that the donation was aimed at ensuring the provision of food and nutrition assistance to help save lives in the country.
“The World Food Programme Nigeria, with the U.S. Government’s contribution of 32.5 million dollars, will provide food assistance and nutrition support to internally displaced persons across conflict-affected areas, “the statement said.
Beneficiaries across Northeast and Northwest Nigeria
According to the statement, with the U.S. Government’s donation, the World Food Programme Nigeria will provide food and nutrition assistance to 764,205 beneficiaries across Northeast and Northwest Nigeria.
“This includes complementary nutrition top-ups for 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls, and 43,235 children through electronic food vouchers,” It added.
WFP’s global role and funding
The WFP, which is funded entirely by voluntary donations from governments, corporations, and private individuals, is the world’s largest humanitarian organization.
The U.S. is, by far, the largest single donor to the WFP, as it consistently provides a significant portion of its funding each year, contributing more than 2.9 billion dollars in 2023 alone.
As the United Nations’ food-assistance branch, WFP works in more than 120 countries, providing emergency food relief to people in need and building long-term food security and stability to save lives in emergencies.
It also helps communities to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after a crisis, including nutrition projects, especially for mothers and children, school feeding programmes, and building resilience to climate-related shocks.
In 2020, WFP won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating hunger, contributing to peace, and being a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
What You Should Know
In mid-2025, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that it could be forced to suspend food and nutrition assistance for 1.3 million people in northeastern Nigeria, as food stocks had been fully depleted due to critical funding shortfalls.
WFP further estimated that nearly 31 million Nigerians were facing acute food insecurity, with more than 300,000 children at risk of severe malnutrition if operations came to a halt.
Reports also revealed that between January and June 2025, at least 652 children died from malnutrition in Katsina State, a sharp rise linked to funding cuts from international donors, including the U.S., U.K., and EU.
