Nigeria gets N589bn as FG, UK sign eight agreements to boost education, governance, others
…Three-year human assistance program receives N324bn
…As new agreements signal strong Nigeria-UK ties with focus on humanitarian, economic devt
The Federal Government and the United Kingdom have signed eight partnership agreements worth N589 billion (£272.6 million) to boost critical sectors of the Nigerian economy, including education, health, governance, climate change, and the economy.
The agreements were signed by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, and the UK Charge d’ Affaires, Ms Cynthia Rowe, in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Bagudu, the agreements demonstrate the UK’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s development agenda, despite its own economic challenges.
He praised the UK’s spirit of partnership and appreciated its support in addressing global issues such as health, climate change, and governance.
Rowe commiserated with Nigeria over the recent flood in some states and expressed the UK’s commitment to advancing Nigeria’s development agenda.
She noted that the agreements would complement the over £1 billion spent on various programs in states across the country.
The agreements include the Human Assistance and Resilience Program, Nigeria Governance and Climate Change Programme, Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria, Equipment Support for Health Training Institutions, Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services, Building Resilience in Nigeria’s Nutrition Stockpile, Strengthening Humanitarian Access in Nigeria, and Manufacture Africa.
These programs are marked to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance, support coalitions engaging with the government on areas to help resolve climate and governance problems, increase state government income from internally generated revenue, mainstream climate action in state government policy, planning, and budgets, and strengthen election delivery and credibility.
“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.
The minister spoke about President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s recent economic reforms, which he regretted had caused some discomfort among the people.
However, he explained that they were part of its Renewed Hope Agenda strategies aimed at macroeconomic stability that would stimulate local and foreign investments needed for the nation’s economic revival, growth, and development.
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 minister thanked the charge d’affaires for her cooperation and assistance in ensuring the consummation of the implementation agreements, which he said were the 15th to be signed by the ministry within a month.
On her part, Rowe, in her address, commiserated with Nigeria over the recent flood in some states and expressed how sorry the UK was over the incident.
She appreciated Nigeria’s long-standing cooperation and praised the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for being an integral partner that had shaped the relations.
The new implementation agreements, she 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 £1 billion, delivering real improvements for people in health, education, governance, our work with women and girls, and helping where there is humanitarian need.”
For decades, the implementation agency, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, has been actively engaged in other sectors of the country’s national development, demonstrating a long-term commitment to Nigeria’s growth and stability. This includes human development, the Lake Chad Basin Conflict, UK-Nigeria People-to-People links, and economic transformation.
The FCDO has set four clear objectives for the partnership agreements. 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 star agreement, with a three-year budget of N324 billion (£150 million), is the Human Assistance and Resilience Program. It aims to deliver on the integrated review of an earlier programme, “Force for Good Agenda,” and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance in the Northeast.
The government has unveiled a series of major funding agreements aimed at addressing various critical issues. The Nigeria Governance and Climate Change Programme has received a substantial allocation of N84 billion (£83.8 million).
This initiative is set to bolster collaborations with the government to tackle climate and governance challenges impacting the nation’s most vulnerable populations. Key goals of the programme include boosting state revenues through enhanced internally generated funds, integrating climate action into state policies, planning, and budgets, and improving the integrity of electoral processes.
Also, the government has also endorsed the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) programme, with a budget of N82 billion (£38 million). SPRING is designed to mitigate rural violence and enhance peace, security, justice, and climate resilience in Northern Nigeria, a region known for its volatility.
Further agreements include funding for several crucial projects: N8.3 billion (£3.8 million) has been allocated for Equipment Support for Health Training Institutions; N41 billion (£19 million) is designated for Climate Resilient Infrastructure for Basic Services; N26 billion (£12 million) will go towards Building Resilience in Nigeria’s Nutrition Stockpile; and N24 billion (£11 million) is set aside for Strengthening Humanitarian Access in Nigeria.
The final agreement in this series is the Manufacture Africa initiative, which proposes an investment of N151 billion (£70 million).
