FG and UK sign eight agreements on education, health and more

Key sectors of the Nigerian economy are set to receive financial support worth N589bn (£272.6m) following eight partnership agreements signed by the federal government and the UK.

The information was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

The programme implementation agreements, signed by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, and the UK Chargé d’Affaires, Ms Cynthia Rowe, commit the two countries to cooperate in key sectors including governance, climate change, education, health and the economy.

Welcoming Rowe and his team to the signing ceremony at the ministry headquarters in Abuja, Bagudu expressed gratitude for the support of the UK government, saying it was a significant show of friendship.

He said the timing of the agreement’s implementation was important given the downward trend of global economies.

“Many economies around the world are going through turbulent times. Nigeria and the UK are no exception,” he said.

The Minister praised the spirit of partnership in the UK, which has enabled the country to support other countries despite economic challenges.

Bagudu noted that some of the agreements would be more beneficial to Nigeria, explaining that they deal with global issues.

“Health is no longer a local issue. COVID-19 has reminded us that we share a universe. Climate is a universal phenomenon. Governance is no longer a local issue. Failure to govern in one country can affect others through forced migration, conflict or the proliferation of weapons,” he said.

The minister spoke about the recent economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which he regretted had caused some discomfort among the people.

However, he explained that they are part of the Reborn Hope Agenda strategy, which aims to achieve macroeconomic stability that would stimulate local and foreign investments necessary for the economic recovery, growth and development of the country.

Bagudu said the agreements acknowledged that despite the country’s best efforts, it may not have all the resources it needs to meet its development needs. He added that Nigeria is confident that with the cooperation of its partners, it will overcome its challenges.

The minister thanked the charge d’affaires for their cooperation and assistance in ensuring the implementation of the implementing agreements, which he said were the 15th agreements signed by the ministry in a month.

Rowe, for her part, in her speech expressed sympathy to Nigeria over the recent floods that have occurred in some states and expressed how saddened the UK was by the incident.

She appreciated Nigeria’s long-standing cooperation and praised the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning for its role as an integral partner that shaped the relationship.

She added that the new implementation agreements would come on top of more than £1 billion spent on several programmes in states across the country.

“I am passionate about the UK’s strong relationship with Nigeria and working with the Government to deliver 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 across health, education, governance, our work with women and girls, and aid where there is humanitarian need.”

Over the decades, the implementing agency, the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, has been actively involved 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 goals for the partnership agreements. These include delivering fair, reliable investment, giving women and girls the freedom to succeed, scaling up life-saving support in times of crisis and promoting sustainable economic development. These goals aim to help Nigeria achieve a more stable, inclusive, resilient, healthy and prosperous political system.

The most important agreement, with a three-year budget of N324 billion (£150 million), is the Human Assistance and Resilience Programme. It aims to implement an integrated review of the earlier Force for Good Agenda and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the north-east.

The Nigeria Governance and Climate Change Programme follows with an N84 billion (£83.8 million) spending plan. Its aims are to support coalitions working with government in areas that will help address climate and governance challenges affecting the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians; increase state government revenue from internally generated revenue; mainstream climate action at the heart of state government policies, planning and budgets; and strengthen electoral implementation and credibility.

An agreement to strengthen peace and resilience in Nigeria was also signed, which aims to reduce conflict and support Nigerian communities to better adapt to the impacts of climate change.

With a budget of N82 billion (£38 million), the SPRING programme will support the fight against rural violence and enhance peace, security, justice and climate resilience for citizens in fragile regions of northern Nigeria.

Other contracts include: Equipment support for medical training facilities N8.3 billion (£3.8 million); Climate-resilient infrastructure for essential services N41 billion (£19 million); Building resilience of Nigeria’s food stocks N26 billion (£12 million) and Strengthening access to humanitarian assistance in Nigeria N24 billion (£11 million).

The latest agreement is Manufacture Africa, which will help deliver the inclusive economic transformation needed to create jobs in the future by providing N151 billion (£70 million) in technical assistance to African countries.