Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
With over 1,932 persons killed in Nigeria’s North-east in the last three months alone, humanitarian operations in the region are under severe strain, the Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development (IHSD), has said.
Speaking at a World Humanitarian Day 2026 press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, IHSD Registrar/CEO, Dr. Francis Origa, said the figure from United Nations data underscored why this year’s global theme, “The Time for Consequence is Now,” #ActForHumanity must move beyond rhetoric to action.
Origa stated, “The numbers tell the story. Displacement, food insecurity and climate-related emergencies continue to drive humanitarian needs across Nigeria.
“But the bigger data gap is in capacity. We are losing aid workers and failing to professionalise response.”
To address that, the institute called on government and private sector stakeholders to increase financing for humanitarian needs, stating that most projects collapse after the pilot stage due to lack of patient capital and long-term structures.
IHSD fixed its 16th Annual Humanitarian Public Lecture for Saturday, August 22, saying the event, with UNITAR-CIFAL Nigeria, will train leaders on ethical leadership and inclusivity.
It will also feature the launch of Origa’s book, “Materialism and Humanitarianism”, which analyses the correlation between material wealth and declining humanitarian values.
IHSD also launched a nationwide Honorary Humanitarian Ambassadors Network with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The network is designed to integrate paralegal services into grassroots humanitarian action, with the target of embedding access to justice, human rights, and dignity in communities currently underserved by formal systems.
Origa said sustainable change will not come from charity alone.
“Our motto is Advancing Humanity Through Professionalism and Knowledge Building. The data shows we need skilled people, not just supplies, to rebuild with dignity,” he said.
He also cited rising global data on attacks against aid workers as a critical concern.
Origa said, “Humanitarian workers are driven not by wealth or fame, but by passion. Yet the data shows they are increasingly targeted. We must enforce international humanitarian law to end impunity.”
IHSD said it will continue tracking, training, and turning humanitarian frameworks into funded, measurable interventions across health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and climate resilience.