Nigeria continues to face overlapping humanitarian crises, with floods, conflict, and food insecurity placing women and girls at heightened risk. In July 2025, heavy rains caused devastating floods across Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states, killing 25 people and displacing thousands. In Borno, flooding isolated communities such as Rann, cutting them off from essential supplies, while Maiduguri saw building collapses and further displacement. At the same time, escalating violence in Plateau State left dozens dead, and the lean season in the BAY states worsened food insecurity for 4.6 million people, pushing women and girls toward negative coping mechanisms such as transactional sex.
UNFPA scaled up its response, delivering integrated sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV) services. In Adamawa, a temporary clinic was set up in Yola in coordination with state authorities, where medical and social workers provided SRH services and psychosocial support to women and girls affected by the floods. Across the BAY states, 8,699 people accessed SRH services, including antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, STI/HIV education, and skilled birth attendance. In total, more than 20,000 people benefited from GBV services, including case management, MHPSS, legal assistance, temporary shelter, and dignity kit distribution. UNFPA also conducted training for frontline workers on GBV case management and MHPSS and supported youth with vocational training to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to exploitation.
Despite these efforts, the funding gap remains severe. UNFPA requires US$15.7 million to sustain SRH and GBV services in Nigeria in 2025, but by July only US$2.2 million had been received, covering just 14 per cent of needs. This leaves a shortfall of US$13.5 million (86 per cent unmet), threatening essential health and protection services for women, girls, and vulnerable communities across the country.
