Nigeria
After more than a decade of conflict and violent insurgency, humanitarian needs in Nigeria’s north east remain critical.
In the Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states (collectively known as the BAY states), socio-economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic were exacerbated by a tense security situation, and increased food insecurity due to flash floods and extreme drought.
The use of cash and voucher assistance (CVA) is increasing in Nigeria: in 2021, CVA made up around 50% of the food security response, and was received by 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2020. The Cash Barometer launched in Borno State in late 2019 with the aim of ensuring the perceptions of CVA recipients are included in the design and programming of CVA. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we adapted the Cash Barometer to explore perceptions of the economic impact of the pandemic, as experienced by CVA recipients, humanitarian actors and financial service providers. We conducted a second round of surveys in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States in November 2020, followed by qualitative research in 2021 to gather in-depth recommendations from communities.
We continue to work closely with the Cash Working Group to ensure that the perceptions of people in hard to reach places or without connection to communications networks are considered in CVA design and inform the COVID-19 response.