The European Union (EU) has announced a €288 million support package for Nigeria, targeting key sectors including healthcare, agriculture, finance, migration, climate, and digital public infrastructure.
The EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS disclosed this at the EU-Nigeria Ministerial news conference in Abuja, noting that the funding forms part of a renewed commitment under the EU-Nigeria Partnership.
The initiative is aligned with the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy, aimed at accelerating investment and strengthening economic cooperation with Nigeria.
What they are saying
Director General for International Partnerships at the European Commission, Stefano Signore, said the funding reflects increased EU investment in Nigeria’s development.
He noted that healthcare and agriculture remain priority sectors, particularly in improving infrastructure, local manufacturing and inclusion.
He added that the EU is also strengthening cooperation on migration by supporting better opportunities for returnee migrants.
- Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said the development builds on the 2023 EU-Nigeria Strategic Dialogue, which deepened bilateral relations and launched the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy in Nigeria.
- “Our engagement has continued to evolve toward a more investment-driven, result-oriented and impact-focused framework that reflects both our ambitions and the realities of a rapidly changing global economy.
- “Nigeria remains firmly committed to deepening this strategic relationship. Under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, we are implementing bold and far-reaching macroeconomic reforms.
- “These reforms aim at stabilising the economy, strengthening fiscal sustainability, and creating an enabling environment for private sector-led growth.
- “They include efforts to improve revenue mobilisation, enhance transparency in public financial management, rationalise expenditures, and strengthen the efficiency of our foreign exchange market,’’ he said.
More insights
Out of the €288 million package:
- €50 million will support healthcare manufacturing through the Bank of Industry
- €85 million will fund agri-business value chains, particularly dairy and cocoa
- €108 million includes €22 million in grants and €86 million in loans to the Nigerian government
- €23 million is allocated to digital public infrastructure
- €5 million will support training in the health, pharmaceutical and nutrition sectors
- €16 million will go towards strengthening migration governance and reintegration efforts
- €1 million will support a climate and agriculture twinning project with European partners
Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Olasupo Olusi, said the partnership would channel long-term financing into critical sectors such as healthcare and agriculture.
He noted that collaboration with the European Investment Bank is expected to boost local production and support national resilience.
Finland’s Under Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, Jarno Syrjaia, also announced that Finland will lead efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital public services under the Team Europe Initiative, including support for the government’s three million Technical Talents (3MTT) programme.
What you should know
The EU has continued to scale up investments in Nigeria across key sectors as part of a broader and long-standing economic partnership between Nigeria and the European Union.
- The European Union committed to a broader €150 billion investment for Africa by 2027 under the Global Gateway Initiative, with Nigeria identified as a key beneficiary.
- Last year, they announced a €300 million commitment to fund development projects in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East regions, targeting areas affected by insecurity and underdevelopment.
- The funding, unveiled during the 2025 Europe Day celebration in Abuja, forms part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which aims to expand opportunities for Nigerians, particularly women and youth.
