Charities and NGOs in Nigeria
Nigeria has one of the largest and most varied nonprofit sectors in Africa, addressing public health, education and out-of-school children, gender equality, anti-corruption and governance, humanitarian response in the conflict-affected northeast, women and girls' rights, and youth unemployment. The sector is shaped by religious, ethnic, and regional plurality and includes some of the continent's most influential civic-tech and accountability NGOs. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of NGOs in Nigeria, a Nigerian charity database, an Incorporated Trustees directory, or a single verified Nigerian nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official Corporate Affairs Commission registration data, financial information, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Nigerian NGO. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities and NGOs are registered in Nigeria
Most Nigerian nonprofits register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as Incorporated Trustees under Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020. The CAC public portal lets anyone verify the registration of a Nigerian nonprofit by name or RC number. Tax exemption is granted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on application; only FIRS-recognized charities can issue receipts that allow Nigerian donors to claim a deduction. NGOs working on humanitarian response in the northeast must additionally register with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the relevant state SEMAs. Faith-based organizations typically register as Incorporated Trustees as well, and SCUML registration is required for compliance with anti-money-laundering rules.
Major causes and well-known Nigerian NGOs
The Nigerian nonprofit sector spans the full range of cause areas, with a strong civic-accountability footprint:
- Humanitarian response: agencies operating in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states in partnership with UNOCHA, including Mercy Corps Nigeria, Premiere Urgence Internationale, and local partners.
- Health: Society for Family Health, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, AIDS Healthcare Foundation Nigeria, and malaria and HIV/AIDS service networks.
- Education: Bridge Connect Africa, ACT Foundation scholarship programs, Almajiri reform initiatives, and Slum2School.
- Anti-corruption, transparency, and governance: BudgIT, Tracka, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Connected Development (CODE).
- Women, girls, and gender: Mirabel Centre, Stand to End Rape Initiative, Project Alert on Violence Against Women, and the Women's Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).
- Children and youth: SOS Children's Villages Nigeria, Junior Achievement Nigeria, and innovation hubs running STEM programs.
- Religion and humanitarian: Catholic Caritas Foundation Nigeria, Christian Aid Nigeria, and Islamic relief networks.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best health charities in Nigeria and best advocacy charities in Nigeria to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate a Nigerian NGO before donating
Nigeria has a deep but uneven NGO sector, so donor diligence is essential. Things to check before giving to any Nigerian NGO:
- CAC registration: Incorporated Trustee status under CAMA 2020 is the baseline for legitimate Nigerian nonprofits; verify on the CAC portal.
- FIRS tax exemption: required for genuine charitable status and for donor receipts.
- Audited annual reports: reputable Nigerian NGOs publish them online with ICAN-accredited auditors.
- SCUML registration: required for AML compliance and a basic professionalism signal.
- International partnerships: implementing partners of UN agencies, USAID, FCDO, or EU programs have usually passed vendor due-diligence checks.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Nigerian NGO against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Nigerian NGO profile on GiveRadar combines CAC registration, FIRS status, financials, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Nigeria NGO explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as a Nigeria NGO explorer: every registered Nigerian nonprofit we hold data on, ranked and filterable by state, cause area, financial transparency, presence of a website, and revenue size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (humanitarian, health, education, governance and anti-corruption, women and girls, children, religion, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name or RC number. The directory updates daily as we ingest new CAC data and enrich existing records with contact details, financials, programs, and news coverage. To compare Nigerian giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to advocacy charities globally.
Donating to charities in Nigeria
Most Nigerian NGOs accept Naira card, bank-transfer, and USSD donations directly through their websites, often via Paystack or Flutterwave. International donors typically give through US 501(c)(3) or UK fiscal sponsors, GlobalGiving, BetterPlace, or directly via international wire to FCDO- or USAID-vetted partners. GiveRadar links to each NGO's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.