Let all Humanitarian workers in Nigeria know that Nigerians value their services: Doro.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard M. Doro, has assured humanitarian workers in Nigeria that their contributions to assisting vulnerable populations are valued and appreciated by Nigerians.

Doro gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 World Humanitarian Day commemoration organised by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction in collaboration with Nigeria Humanitarian Action (NIHA).

The event, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, had the theme, “Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities.”

The minister commended humanitarian workers for their dedication and urged them to remain committed to serving vulnerable Nigerians, assuring them of the Federal Government’s support.

He said every vulnerable Nigerian should be confident that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, through its Renewed Hope Agenda, remained committed to improving their welfare and providing support to those in need.

Doro said the ministry was committed to building a humanitarian coordination system that is nationally driven, professionally managed, locally responsive and financially sustainable.

According to him, the system would promote seamless collaboration among the Federal, State and Local Governments, development partners, civil society organisations, academia, faith-based organisations and the private sector.

He identified the One Humanitarian, One Poverty Response System (OHOPRS) as a key national coordination framework designed to reduce duplication, strengthen institutional collaboration, promote data-driven decision-making and integrate humanitarian assistance with recovery, resilience, social protection and poverty reduction.

The minister also called for increased investment in the welfare, professional development, remuneration and incentives of humanitarian personnel, stressing that a motivated workforce was critical to an effective humanitarian response system.

Doro said the ministry was determined to build a Nigeria where disasters would not translate into hopelessness, humanitarian interventions would be efficiently and nationally coordinated, and no child would go to bed hungry because assistance failed to reach those in need.

He described the theme of the 2026 commemoration as more than a slogan, saying it was an instruction to combine global solidarity with strong local capacity.

“Solidarity without local strength is charity that cannot outlast the crisis that provokes it. Local strength without solidarity is a burden no community should have to carry alone,” he said.

Doro said Nigeria’s task was to welcome international partnerships while simultaneously building communities capable of becoming resilient and self-reliant.

He appreciated the United Nations system, development partners, donors, governments and humanitarian organisations for their continued support to Nigerians.

The minister further said the transition from a predominantly UN-coordinated humanitarian architecture to a government-led coordination system was not merely an administrative adjustment, but a strategic investment in Nigeria’s resilience, sovereignty and long-term sustainability.

He said the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction was prepared to lead the transition.

Doro also called for accelerated implementation of the National Humanitarian Poverty Reduction Trust Fund to secure sustainable domestic financing for humanitarian interventions.

He urged stronger domestic investment through predictable budgetary allocations, innovative financing mechanisms, increased private-sector participation, philanthropic contributions and stronger partnerships with state governments.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Olubunmi Olusanya, said the origin of World Humanitarian Day remained solemn and significant.

He recalled that on August 19, 2003, a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, claimed the lives of 22 people, including the UN Special Representative for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

He said the United Nations General Assembly subsequently designated August 19 as World Humanitarian Day, with the first global observance held in 2009.

Olusanya said the ministry remained committed to strengthening the link between humanitarian action, poverty reduction, social protection and sustainable development, while ensuring that affected people remained at the centre of interventions.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Board of Nigeria Humanitarian Action, Engr. Morgan Okwoche, appreciated the ministry for its partnership and called for stronger collaboration to advance humanitarian services in Nigeria.

The event also featured goodwill messages from the Federal Commissioner of the Nigerian Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Mr Aliyu Tijani; representatives of the National Population Commission, Nigeria Police Force and Zamfara State Government.

Other goodwill messages were delivered by the Country Director of International NGOs, Mr Ndubuisi Anyanwu, and representatives of the ECOWAS Commission, among others.

The celebration featured musical performances by OG Abbah Mohammed Abubakar, an internally displaced persons (IDPs) artiste, as well as cultural performances by other IDPs.