Humanitarian Access SCORE Report: Northeast Nigeria Survey on the Coverage, Operational Reach, and Effectiveness of Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian access in the conflict-affected states of northeast Nigeria has been highly constrained since the start of the current humanitarian response in 2016. An estimated 1.2 million Nigerians living outside the government-controlled areas in those states are completely cut off from humanitarian assistance, while several million more are obstructed to varying degrees in their ability to reach— and be reached by—critical aid.1 A combination of insecurity, the actions of the parties to the conflict, and the lack of strong and concerted advocacy across international diplomatic and humanitarian actors has made northeast Nigeria one of the most challenging operational environments for aid organisations. This report, based on a survey of affected people, analysis of operational presence, and key informant interviews—including with organisations identified as the most present and effective—examines these challenges.

Our partners completed computer-assisted telephone surveys with 460 people living across northeast Nigeria, and a follow-up survey of 104 respondents in Borno exclusively.