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EU Grants €557m to Nigeria, Others from €1.9bn 2026 Budget

January 21, 2026 by admin

The European Union on Wednesday announced that Nigeria and other African countries would be receiving the sum of 557 million euros from the bloc’s 2026 humanitarian aid budget. The EU made this known in a statement by its delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS Embassy’s Press Officer, Mr Modestus Chukwulaka, in Abuja. It said that Nigeria’s North-West region is in focus as it announced a grant of 557 million euros in humanitarian aid to African countries for the 2026 budget. The EU’s announcement came at a time when 239 million people need assistance, and major donors are cutting funding. It said that the amount excluded a separate 14.6 million euros allocated to North Africa. The EU said that it was part of the initial 1.9 billion euros humanitarian aid budget announced by Hadja Lahbib, the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management for this year. According to the statement, Lahbib brings this commitment to Davos, seeking to mobilise private sector finance and innovative solutions that can complement public funding and reach people in need. It said that the EU’s humanitarian aid delivered life-saving assistance where it matters most, emergency food and shelter, critical healthcare, protection for the most vulnerable, and support for children’s education in crisis zones. Furthermore, it said that as other donors retreat and humanitarian law faces unprecedented strain, the EU maintains its commitment, principled aid that reaches people in need, wherever they are. “The initial 1.9 billion euros allocation includes 557 million euros to West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region and the Greater Horn of Africa. “It also includes 448 million euros to the Middle East, particularly Gaza, further to last year’s fragile ceasefire, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. “145 million euros is allocated to humanitarian needs in Ukraine, as Russia’s invasion enters its fourth year, and an additional eight million euros for humanitarian projects in Moldova,” it said. It said that 126 million euros is allocated to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. “95 million euros was allocated to Central and South America and the Caribbean, a region facing complex humanitarian crises driven by armed conflicts, widespread violence, political instability, acute inequalities and environmental challenges. “Also, 73 million euros will be allocated to support Southeast Asia and the Pacific, in particular for the Myanmar crisis and its impact in Bangladesh. “Then , 14.6 million euros will be allocated to North Africa, a region that remains exposed to complex political, economic and social challenges. “Additionally, more than 415 million euros is reserved for responding to sudden-onset emergencies worldwide, and maintaining a strategic supply chain,” it said. The statement said that the EU commissioner mobilised private sector support in Davos to close the gap between record humanitarian needs and available resources, which requires new approaches. It said that Lahbib’s other engagements in Davos were to discuss with business leaders and investors on how the private sector can bring innovation, scale, and new financing models to humanitarian responses. It said that together with the World Economic Forum, she will co-host an event on ‘New Alliances in Aid and Development’ on 22 January. “Lahbib’s full Davos agenda, including bilateral meetings amongst others engagements in Davos,” it said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EU and its member-states are the leading global humanitarian aid donors. The commission has been providing humanitarian aid since 1992 in over 110 countries, delivered through humanitarian NGOs, international organisations (including UN agencies), and specialised agencies in the member-states. NAN

EU Demands Snapchat, YouTube Explain Child Protection Measures

October 10, 2025 by admin

The EU on Friday demanded digital giants, including Snapchat and YouTube, explain how they are protecting children from online harm, as member states explore restricting minors’ access to social media at a European level. The European Union has stringent rules regulating the digital space, including what children should be able to see, but there is increasing concern that more needs to be done to tackle the issue. Inspired by Australia’s social media ban for under-16s, Brussels is analysing whether such a measure could work in the 27-country bloc after several states, including France and Spain, pushed for limits on minors’ access to platforms. Europe’s biggest weapon for ensuring platforms tackle illegal content and keep children safe online is the Digital Services Act, which has sparked censorship claims from the US tech sector and retaliation threats from President Donald Trump. Now, as part of “investigative actions” under the DSA, the European Commission has sent a request for information to Snapchat about what steps it is taking to prevent access for children under 13. The commission has also asked Apple’s App Store and the Google Play marketplace to provide details on measures taken to prevent children downloading illegal or harmful apps — for example, those with gambling services or sexual content. The EU wants to know in particular how Apple and Google stop children downloading tools to create non-consensual sexualised content — so-called “nudify apps” — as well as how they apply apps’ age ratings. “Privacy, security and safety have to be ensured, and this is not always the case, and that’s why the commission is tightening the enforcement of our rules,” tech chief Henna Virkkunen said before EU ministers met in Denmark. A request for information can lead to probes and even fines, but does not in itself suggest the law has been broken, nor is it a move towards punishment. – Winds of change – Regarding Snapchat, Brussels wants to know how the messaging app stops users from buying drugs and vapes, a claim echoed by Danish Digital Minister Caroline Stage Olsen on Friday. It also wants YouTube to provide details on its recommender system, “following reporting of harmful content being disseminated to minors”, the commission said. The demands are not the first under the DSA. The EU is also probing Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, over fears they are not doing enough to combat the addictive nature of their platforms for children. In a parallel push on child protection, EU telecoms ministers will Friday discuss age verification on social media and what steps they can take to make the world online safer for minors. They are expected to agree on a joint statement backing EU chief Ursula von der Leyen’s plans to study a potential bloc-wide digital majority age, according to a draft document seen by AFP. Von der Leyen has voiced personal support for such a move, and said last month she would establish an experts’ panel “to assess what steps make sense” at the EU level. Denmark, in charge of the rotating six-month EU presidency, has been pushing the bloc to take more collective action through new rules. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Tuesday that Denmark planned to introduce a ban on social media for children under the age of 15. France already has a law requiring parental consent for social media users under the age of 15. AFP

EU Votes Over ₦800m To Assist Displaced Persons In Benue

July 24, 2025 by admin

The European Union has allocated €500,000 (approximately ₦886 million) to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to thousands of internally displaced persons in Benue State. This follows a surge in deadly attacks that have worsened the state’s protracted humanitarian crisis. According to the EU, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes since 2018. The EU also stated that between 2024 and 2025, no fewer than 6,900 lives had been lost and over 400,000 people displaced. In a statement on Thursday, the EU’s Public Affairs Officer, Politics, Press and Information Section, Ugo Sokari-George, said the funding will be used over a six-month period to support critical interventions in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration. Sokari-George said, “In response to the influx of displaced people following the recent attacks in Benue State, the EU has released €500,000 (approximately NGN 886,315,000) to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs. “This EU funding will support, for a period of six months, and in partnership with the IOM, efforts to implement activities in sectors such as protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as multi-purpose financial aid. “Escalating armed violence in Benue State, Nigeria, has displaced thousands of people, exacerbating an already critical humanitarian crisis. In June 2025, a wave of attacks forced almost 23,000 people to flee, many of whom had already been displaced in the past, triggering a cycle of heightened vulnerability.” The EU said the aid package will focus on protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as multi-purpose cash assistance for affected populations. “Conditions inside the camps are dire. There is a severe lack of shelter for families, and inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Access to livelihoods remains precarious, while protection risks have increased considerably, particularly for women, children and people with disabilities, making the humanitarian response even more complex. “This latest wave of violence is part of a protracted humanitarian crisis that has been shaking the state of Benue since 2018. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced from their homes since 2018. The escalation of violence in 2024 and 2025 has already claimed some 6,900 lives and displaced more than 400,000 people, stressing the urgency of the situation”, the statement concluded. Punch

EU Extends Protection For Ukrainian Refugees Until 2027

June 13, 2025 by admin

EU countries on Friday approved a one-year extension of the temporary protection offered to Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russia’s war, allowing them to stay in the bloc until March 2027. Some 4.3 million Ukrainians are registered as refugees across the European Union, with Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic hosting the largest communities. “While Russia continues to terrorise Ukrainian civilians with indiscriminate air strikes, the EU continues to show its solidarity,” said Tomasz Siemoniak, the Interior Minister of Poland, which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency. “We will continue to offer protection for millions of Ukrainian refugees for another year.” The 27-nation bloc granted Ukrainians temporary protection in the weeks after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022. After several roll-overs, the measure was set to expire next March — but it will now be extended until March 4, 2027. The move, proposed by the European Commission last week, was backed by the European Council representing member states during a meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg on Friday with “unanimous support,” the council said. Ministers also started debating preparations for an end to the system — which is expected to see some Ukrainians return to their country, while others could seek the right to stay on in the bloc. “The Polish presidency also initiated discussion on a strategy to phase out temporary protection once a just peace is achieved,” said Siemoniak. “In the near future, we will work towards common, EU-wide solutions in this area, including in the context of returns to Ukraine.” People benefiting from temporary protection enjoy the same rights across the EU, including a residence permit, access to the labour market and housing, medical assistance, social welfare and access to education. EU states welcomed millions of Ukrainians with open arms in the early stages of the conflict, but there are signs of patience wearing thin in some countries — with peace efforts stuttering as the conflict drags into its fourth year. Poland — a staunch supporter of Kyiv throughout the war and host to one million Ukrainian refugees — recently elected a president who wants to cut back their benefits. And Germany — the largest single host with almost 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees — is also considering curbing benefits, as the national mood has hardened on immigration. Last week the commission said it was putting in place “an exit strategy,” stressing temporary protection was by definition temporary. AFP

EU Grants €557m to Nigeria, Others from €1.9bn 2026 Budget

EU Demands Snapchat, YouTube Explain Child Protection Measures

EU Votes Over ₦800m To Assist Displaced Persons In Benue

EU Extends Protection For Ukrainian Refugees Until 2027

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