The United State Agency for International Development has given Nigeria a new funding worth $26.5 million to support health care and good governance.
According to NAN, the additional support to Nigeria is because of the country’s achievement in the development goals outlined in the bilateral Development Objectives Assistance Agreement signed in 2015 between the U.S. and Nigeria.
The Acting Mission Director, Ms Erin Holleran, confirmed the new financial support and said that USAID would partner federal and state health ministries to build stronger health systems.
Her words, “Twenty five 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 will support a healthier, more educated population in targeted states through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, for a total of $26.5 million in additional assistance,” Holleran said.
She said the USAID was committed to partnering the government and the people of Nigeria to address its development challenges because of the huge influence the nation had on the future of Africa.
The additional new funding brings the total U.S. government assistance provided under the five-year Development Objectives agreement to $1.1 billion.
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.