The study, conducted by the Neem Foundation and the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, highlights significant issues in the humanitarian response in Nigeria’s northern regions.
Launched in Abuja on Friday, May 24, the research reveals that the northwest is critically underserved compared to the northeast, despite high levels of humanitarian need across both areas.
John Bryant, a Research Fellow for the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, explained that acute malnutrition in the northwest is nearly three times higher than in the northeast.
According to him, 64% of the surveyed Local Government Areas in the northwest reported “serious” acute malnutrition, compared to 22% in the northeast (IPC, 2023).
Bryant attributes these disparities to different narratives and perceptions of the conflicts in these regions.
“The northeast’s conflict, characterized as an ideologically driven insurgency, has garnered substantial domestic and international humanitarian attention.”
Conversely, the northwest’s crisis, often described as “endemic banditry” or “lawlessness,” has been deprioritized.
The study, as reported by Pulse, identifies several factors contributing to the issues in both regions, emphasizing the lack of coordination between federal and state governments as a major problem.
It points out that inadequate national-level protections, inconsistent roles for state governments within the federal system, and unreliable information gathering have all played a part in exacerbating the situation.
These problems are seen as symptoms of broader political decisions regarding the conflicts and their management.
The study recommends that state authorities take the lead in delivering protection, services, and development interventions for affected people in these regions. It also advises that international humanitarian actors engage state governments early to jointly create durable solutions.
At the event, Dr. Fatima Akilu, the Executive Director of Neem Foundation, emphasized the necessity of this research project.
She drew parallels between donor dynamics in Nigeria and those in other conflict-affected countries in the Global South, such as Sudan and the Central African Republic, as well as countries in the Global North, like Ukraine.
