Nigeria Signs Agreements with UK, gets N589bn Support
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is to support Nigeria with (N589 billion) in eight critical areas of Nigeria’s development drive.
At the signing of the agreement in Abuja, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu said the gesture by the British Government would lead to economic transformation.
Senator Bagudu expressed appreciation for the UK government’s support, saying it was a significant show of friendship.
He said the timing of the implementation agreement was significant given the downward trend of world economies.
“Many economies in the world are going through turbulent times. Nigeria and the UK are not exceptions,” he stated.
The minister praised the UK’s spirit of partnership, which enabled it to support other countries despite its economic challenges.
Bagudu noted that some agreements would benefit more than Nigeria, explaining that they deal with global issues.
“Health is no longer a local issue. COVID-19 reminded us that we have a shared universe. Climate is a universal phenomenon. Governance is no longer a local issue. Governance failure in one country can affect other countries through forced migration, conflict or the spread of arms,” he said.
Bagudu said the agreements recognised that despite the best efforts of a country, it might not have all the resources it needed to meet its developmental needs, adding that Nigeria was confident that with working partners, it would overcome its challenges.
The UK Charge d’ Affaires in Nigeria, Ms Cynthia Rowe, appreciated Nigeria’s long-standing cooperation and said, would complement the over £1 billion that had been spent on several programmes in states across the country.
“I am passionate about the UK’s close relationship with Nigeria and working with the Government to advance the country’s development agenda,” Rowe said in a short statement, adding, “The signing of these important agreements today builds on our support worth over £1billion, delivering real improvements for people in health, education, governance, our work with women and girls, and helping where there is humanitarian need.”
The FCDO has set four clear objectives for the partnership agreements, and these include delivering honest, reliable investment, providing women and girls with the freedom to succeed, stepping up life-saving support in times of crisis, and promoting sustainable economic development.
These goals aim to help Nigeria attain a more stable, inclusive, resilient, healthy and prosperous polity.
The critical areas of the agreements include strengthening peace and resilience in Nigeria, Nigeria Governance and Climate Change Programme, and Building Resilience in Nigeria’s nutrition stockpile.
Others are Strengthening Humanitarian Access in Nigeria, Humanitarian Assistance programme phase 2 and Manufacturing Africa.
Each programme has its allocation and time frame of completion
Daniel Adejo
