UN, EU Review Over $500m Commitments To Nigeria’s Development Projects

The United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) have jointly reviewed a portfolio of 32 development projects worth over $500 million in order to support Nigeria’s development priorities and urged the Nigerian government to address development gaps.

Indications to this development emerged during a high-level strategic dialogue in Abuja on Thursday, aimed at deepening the EU–UN partnership in support of Nigeria’s development priorities and delivering lasting impact for people across the country.

Both organisations emphasised the need for closer cooperation to address Nigeria’s development and humanitarian challenges while strengthening governance, democracy, human rights, security and other critical sectors.

Speaking during the dialogue, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohammed Fall, and Gautier Mignot, head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said they will improve the implementation of joint initiatives and advance their collective impact across Nigeria within the framework of the UN reform agenda.

Fall said the partnership with the EU had already led to projects worth about $400 million in Nigeria, which demonstrates the scale of cooperation between the two global organisations in supporting the country’s development objectives.

He said “There is already a global partnership between the EU and the UN, one of the biggest supporters of the UN beyond financial support, which in Nigeria translates into projects valued at $400 million.”

He pointed out that the strategic dialogue provided an opportunity for both organisations to review their existing commitments, assess areas requiring improvement and address challenges that could undermine the effectiveness of their partnership.

Fall added that achieving the country’s development objectives would require stronger collaboration with the Nigerian government, particularly in mobilising domestic resources and increasing government engagement in addressing development gaps.

“We need to work together and have the Nigerian government increase its engagement and mobilisation of domestic resources to tackle the development gaps, as well as humanitarian assistance needs in the country,” he said, adding that the Nigerian government needs to complement international development assistance with stronger domestic financing and government ownership of development programmes.

Also speaking, Mignot noted that education, governance, democracy, human rights and security are priority areas of the EU–UN partnership, stressing that they are paramount for the success of development investments.

He said the relationship between the EU and the UN was critical to combining financial resources with technical and political expertise to support programmes that respond to Nigeria’s needs, adding that the EU’s project portfolio in Nigeria included about 32 projects implemented in collaboration with 16 UN agencies, with the value of the EU-funded initiatives exceeding $500 million.

“We have reviewed our portfolio of projects, some 32 projects, more than half a billion dollars of EU-funded projects working with 16 UN agencies,” he said even as he emphasized that the partnership brought together the EU’s financial contributions and grants with the UN’s technical expertise, political experience and operational presence in the field.

He said further that this will strengthen the implementation of development programmes, enhance coordination among implementing institutions and ensure that investments delivered meaningful results for Nigerian citizens.

Mignot further stressed that the partnership was not limited to cooperation between the EU and the UN but also involved Nigerian authorities at both federal and state levels.