By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

Abuja – The United Kingdom has announced a further £32 million over the next three years to help deliver basic, life-saving assistance and protection to some of the estimated 7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance due to the conflict in north east Nigeria.

The funds will be channelled through the United Nations (UN), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian organisations, and will be used to provide support for critical life-saving areas including nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, and protection of civilians affected by the conflict.

Apart from the cash, the United Kingdom will also provide the needed technical expertise to Nigeria to drive the programmes and ensure maximum benefit for its people.

This was announced in Abuja by the UK Minister for International Development, Nick Hurd, who is in Nigeria for official engagements.

Hurd said: “The UK is committed to continuing to help Nigeria to provide humanitarian assistance and protection for people affected by the conflict in north east Nigeria. We welcome Nigeria’s efforts to support the affected population. We look forward to continuing to work with all partners to strengthen the humanitarian effort to reach the most vulnerable, many of whom are in areas that are difficult to access.”

Mr. Hurd also noted that the humanitarian needs in north east Nigeria are enormous and growing. A sustained, large-scale Government-led response is needed to meet people’s basic needs and to help them to rebuild their lives once security conditions allow them to return to their places of origin.

This new funding is in addition to more than £8.2 million provided by the UK since 2014 to help respond to the life-saving humanitarian needs of people affected by the conflict though violence, displacement, and loss of livelihoods.

In addition, the Minister announced a substantial increase of £16.7 million pounds the UK is giving to Nigeria’s rapidly growing solar energy market.

The additional funding is in support of a UK sponsored Solar Nigeria Programme that was approved in September 2013 with a budget of £37.1 million pounds.

The programme has already supported access to household energy for more than 130,000 people since it was launched in 2014. It has also supported improved healthcare and education for about 185,000 people in Lagos, and earlier this week it won the award for “Outstanding international development project – infrastructure” at the 2016 British Expertise International Awards.

The UK’s overall £222 million / year programme in Nigeria improves health and education systems, addresses malnutrition, improves governance, removes the constraints to growth and helps Nigeria better target its own resources. Over 60% of DFID Nigeria’s programme is targeted at northern Nigeria where the needs are greatest.