EU, Germany, France, UN Agencies and Partners Conclude Joint Mission to Borno State, Reinforcing Commitment to Recovery, Resilience and Durable Solutions

Maiduguri, Nigeria - A delegation from the European Union (EU), the Embassies of Germany and France, alongside United Nations agencies, and development partners has concluded a five-day joint mission to Borno State, reaffirming a shared commitment to strengthening recovery, resilience and durable solutions for conflict-affected communities in Northeast Nigeria.

The mission brought together representatives from EU, The German Embassy, The French Embassy, French Development Agency (AFD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), ), Action Against Hunger Nigeria (ACF Nigeria), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), ZOA International (ZOA), CARE Nigeria (CARE) and other partners working collectively to assess progress, identify opportunities for scale-up, and deepen strategic collaboration across EU-funded humanitarian, stabilization and development programmes.

This visit followed previous high-level engagements between the EU and German Ambassadors and the Borno State Government, reinforcing a shared vision for government-led recovery, sustainable development and long-term peace in the region.

The delegation visited multiple project sites across Maiduguri, Jere and surrounding LGAs, gaining first-hand insight into EU and EU Member State–supported interventions providing relief and reducing the impact of protracted conflict on vulnerable populations across key sectors.

Speaking on the mission, Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS said, “This mission reaffirmed that when partners work in close alignment with government and communities, investments translate into real impact.” He added that, “the EU remains committed to supporting solutions that strengthen resilience, foster stability and lead to concrete action.”

The joint mission placed strong emphasis on collaboration with Borno State institutions, including meetings with the Borno State Agency for Coordination of Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Response (BACSDHR). Further engagements were held with the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, including the handover of the Vocational Training Unified Curriculum-Based Scheme of Work, jointly supported through EU-funded programmes.

“What we witnessed across Borno State reflects the power of partnership, combining humanitarian response, development action and peacebuilding,” said Seve Diomande, IOM Programme Manager, DDRR. “Together, we are moving decisively from crisis response toward durable solutions.”

During the mission, the delegation consolidated lessons learned, aligned strategic priorities and identified forward‑looking recommendations to enhance the impact, sustainability and coherence of EU support in Borno State.

Action Against Hunger Nigeria (ACF Nigeria), Country Director, Thierno Samba Diallo said, “Borno state is a typical example proving that collective, good coordination and strong partnership work well in bridging humanitarian to long term and sustainable development.” He continued that “when partners, and actors unite behind the government and community-led strategies and development priorities, real change and progress become possible.

The joint mission reinforces the collective commitment of the EU, Germany, France, UN agencies and partners to advance government‑led, community‑driven, and development‑anchored recovery across Northeast Nigeria. This shared approach was also underscored by Dr. Karin Jansen, Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, who emphasised the importance of supporting the transition from humanitarian response to long-term development in North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, by linking immediate stabilisation needs with economic opportunities, institutional resilience, and durable solutions.