USAID announces additional $26m support for good governance, health in Nigeria

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced
additional 26 million dollars development assistance to support good
governance and heath in Nigeria.

The embassy said this in a statement made available to newsmen on
Friday in Abuja.

The mission stated that the additional new funding brought the total
U.S. government assistance provided under the five-year Development
Objectives agreement to 1.1 billion dollars.

It stated that the additional fund was to help achieving the
development goals outlined in the bilateral Development Objectives
Assistance Agreement between the U.S. and Nigerian governments signed
in 2015.

“Of the new funding, 25 million dollars will strengthen good
governance by supporting state governments’ efforts to bolster
Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership commitments to improve
transparency and fight corruption.

“An additional 1.5 million dollars will support a healthier, more
educated population in targeted states through the U.S. President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), for a total of 26.5 million
dollars in additional assistance,” it stated.

The Embassy explained that USAID was also partnering with federal and
state health ministries to build stronger health systems with the aim
of guaranteeing equitable access to quality healthcare services
nationwide.

“The U.S believes that as the most populous country in Africa, with
the largest economy on the continent, Nigeria holds tremendous
influence over the future of Africa.

“USAID is committed to partnering with the government and the people
of Nigeria to address its development challenges,” it quoted Acting
Mission Director, Erin Holleran, as saying.

It explained that USAID collaborated with Nigeria’s ministries of
Budget and National Planning, Health, Agriculture, Power, and
Education, as well as state-level government counterparts to structure
the bilateral assistance agreement, which runs through 2020.