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U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FACT SHEET
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-43202003-009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2003
USAID ASSISTANCE TO NIGERIA
BUDGET (in '000s) FY 2001
(Actual)FY 2002
(Estimated)FY 2003
(Request)Development Assistance/ Child Survival $ 54,304 $58,034 $ 65,235 Economic Support Fund $ 33,445 $ 6,500 TBD Democracy and Human Rights Fund $ 70 $ 60 TBD Special Self-Help Fund $ 56 $ 0 TBD Foreign Disaster Assistance $ 25 $ 68 TBD Office of Transition Initiative $ 5,496 $ 60 TBD Total $ 93,396 $ 64,722 $ 65,235 Note: USAID's program in Nigeria is one of eight direct U.S. assistance programs in West Africa, and USAID maintains a fully staffed office in Abuja.
OVERVIEW
Since the inauguration of President Obasanjo in May 1999, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has returned to working directly with the Nigerian government after a five-year hiatus. The overarching goal of USAID's strategy is to assist Nigeria's transition to economic, social and political stability, and to help restore public confidence in civilian-led democratic governance. USAID's program forms a key element of the U.S. Government's strategic plan for Nigeria by focusing on democracy and governance, economic reform and agriculture; global health (reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and child survival), and support for improved infrastructure and energy development. USAID and a multi-agency team are implementing strategies developed by an inter-agency assessment in 1999.
OBJECTIVES
The U.S. strongly supports Nigeria's democratic transition, recognizing its immediate and long-term importance for the country and the region as a whole. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, accounts for 8% of U.S. oil imports, and is the dominant economic and political force in West Africa. There is more U.S. investment in Nigeria than in any other country in Africa. Nigeria's population is extremely diverse. It has the largest Muslim population in Africa. Nigeria has supported regional stability through its diplomacy and through its peacekeeping efforts throughout West Africa. Nigeria, however, has not yet overcome a legacy of military rule and statist economic mismanagement. It continues to struggle to consolidate democratic institutions and the rule of law, develop a sustainable market-based economy, and boost public confidence in the democratic transition. The fast-approaching national, state, and local elections in 2003 bring additional urgency to reform efforts.
MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS
Transition to Democratic Civilian Governance Sustained: USAID's program strengthens democracy and promote good governance by: strengthening selected key government institutions (e.g., the National Assembly, State Assemblies, State Courts); strengthening the capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission and political parties to conduct and participate in free and fair elections; and improving the participation of civil society organizations in the conduct of key public policy deliberations.
Strengthen Institutional Capacity for Economic Reform and Enhance Capacity to Revive Agricultural Growth: USAID's program supports economic reform and agricultural growth through: support for economic policy reform and private sector development; assistance to the Government for privatization of state-owned enterprises; upgrading the capacity of micro-finance institutions; assistance to the Government in agricultural and tariff policy; and agricultural inputs, technology and marketing improvements for farmers.
Develop the Foundation for Education Reform: USAID's program to assist Nigeria in developing the foundation for education reform focuses on: assisting states and the federal government to collect basic educational data on primary schools, students and teachers to improve educational policies; improving primary school teacher training in English literacy in targeted states; increasing primary school student English language and math skills, with particular emphasis on girls; assisting communities to increase their participation in primary education; and enhancing job skills of unemployed youth.
Increased Use of Maternal and Child Health/HIV Services and Preventive Measures within a Supportive Policy Environment: This program's resources are funding activities that include: providing information through an HIV/AIDS hotline as well as counseling and referrals, increasing public awareness of HIV/AIDS; involving Nigerian non-governmental organizations in HIV/AIDS prevention activities and care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS and orphans; upgrading immunization/nutrition services by selected local governments; and involving communities in polio eradication efforts. Reproductive health activities include training health care professionals in maternal and reproductive health and updating the national population policy. Mothers and children under five are key beneficiaries of the programs.
OTHER PROGRAM AREAS
Economic Support Fund (ESF): Congress established ESF to promote economic and political stability in strategically important regions where the United States has special security interests. The funds are provided on a grant basis and are available for a variety of economic purposes, like infrastructure and development projects. In Nigeria, ESF has funded activities with other USG agencies, including the Departments of Treasury, Transportation, Agriculture, Commerce, Energy and Defense in an effort to improve public sector debt management, airports and ports, agriculture production, intellectual property rights implementation, power and projects such as dam construction. In addition, ESF has been used to support USAID's economic growth objectives, particularly in the area of privatization of state-owned enterprises, micro-enterprise development, and anti-corruption efforts.
Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF): USAID supports a grants program which provides assistance to indigenous organizations that implement short-term, highly targeted country-level activities in support of human rights and democratic institutions. DHRF in Nigeria funds projects with civil society organizations to strengthen their capacity to participate on public policy issues such as women's rights, constitutional reform, executive-legislative relations, and others.
Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund: SSH supports community-based development activities that have an immediate impact. In Nigeria, SSH funds have been used to support community-initiated projects such as construction of wells, schools, public sanitation facilities, small roads, and community centers.
Foreign Disaster Assistance: USAID has provided assistance to Nigeria in managing disasters such as flooding in northern Nigeria and the ordnance explosions in Lagos.
Transition Initiatives: USAID helps local partners advance peace and democracy in priority conflict-prone countries. Seizing critical windows of opportunity, USAID works on the ground to provide fast, flexible, short-term assistance targeted at key transition needs. USAID implemented activities in this field for two years, ending in September 2001. The activities focused on supporting efforts to restore confidence in the new democracy, reducing conflict through conflict management support for civil society groups, working with the media to enhance professionalism, and assisting the Nigerian Police Force to develop a strategic plan for reform.
Public-Private Alliance (PPA): PPA is USAID's business model for the 21st century-our commitment to change the way we implement our assistance mandate. The PPA will serve as a catalyst to mobilize the ideas, efforts, and resources of the public sector; corporate America and non-governmental organizations in support of shared objectives. PPA in Nigeria supports the development of agricultural partnerships to increase productivity, marketing and export of crops, e.g. gum arabic, cocoa, cassava. Also, PPA supports a new information technology project that disseminates agriculture-marketing information to producers.
Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSPs): CRSPs involve U.S. universities, developing government researchers and farmers worldwide in interactive research for improved crop productivity and technologies. West African countries collaborate in many of these CRSPs: sorghum and millet (7 West African countries), beans and cowpeas (7 West African countries), soil management (3 West African countries), peanuts (5 West African countries), integrated pest management (1 West African country), and natural resource management (1 West African country). Nigeria is involved in the peanuts CRSP, the sorghum and millet CRSP, the soil management CRSP, and the beans and cowpeas CRSP.
International Agriculture Research Centers (IARCs): IARCs are financed for eight collaborative research networks in various countries throughout West and East Africa. These programs develop and disseminate improved varieties and technologies for crops such as rice, corn, sorghum, and millet. Capacity building and networking for government researchers and farmers are important activities financed through these Centers.
Grants Program: Since 1978 USAID has used the matching grants program as the principle vehicle to help U.S. Private Voluntary Organizations (U.S. PVOs) develop their community-based programs overseas. The matching grants program allows U.S. PVOs to submit proposals for USAID funding to match the U.S. PVOs' funding through a competitive, annual selection process. A six-year (FY 2001-FY 2006) matching grant was awarded to Helen Keller International for the "Project Child Vision" activity to improve children's quality of life and educational performance through community based activities that reduce the prevalence of childhood blindness. An eight-year (1996-2003) farmer to farmer grant was awarded to Winrock International Institute for Agriculture Development to increase food quantity and quality and improve the environmental sustainability of farming.
Strategies and Analyses for Growth and Access (SAGA) Project: SAGA's emphasis is on strengthening capacities of national African economic research institutions, working through the Secretariat for Institutional Strengthening of Economic Research in Africa (SISERA). SISERA is made up of 18 national economic research institutes, including the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in Nigeria. SAGA provides technical assistance and small research grant to SISERA member institutes.
Tree Crop Program: The Sustainable Tree Crop Program promotes sustainable tree crop systems, including coffee cocoa, gum arabic and cashews. The tree crop program engages public and private sector entities to enter into partnerships, as well as to focus on resolution of child trafficking concerns and development issues related to production and marketing of tree crops, such as cocoa and coffee. The program promotes conservation and bio-diversity while encouraging production and marketing policies that stimulate income generation.
West African Regional Program (WARP): WARP provides funding to a number of public and private sector regional organizations on region-wide issues of economic integration, health, nutrition, food security, environment, natural resources management and conflict prevention. Health activities include HIV/AIDS prevention, technical support to enhance clinical services delivery, social marketing of health products, training of health workers, and dissemination of health messages. As a member of ECOWAS*, Nigeria participates in WARP-funded studies and analyses that provide data used in the formulation of policy, the development and promulgation of legislation and regulations, and the design and implementation of region-wide program activities. Nigeria is also a beneficiary of training and technical assistance activities related to the legal and regulatory frameworks for the private sector-financed, West Africa gas pipeline, as well as the West Africa electricity power pool grids being developed for ECOWAS member states.
* Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) -- Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
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