EU-UN Partnership Delivers Over $400m in Annual Projects to Nigeria
By Editor 
The European Union (EU) has said its partnership with the United Nations (UN) delivers projects worth more than $400 million annually in Nigeria, with both institutions seeking stronger government involvement and increased domestic revenue mobilisation to address the country’s development and humanitarian needs.
The EU official, speaking after a meeting to review the partnership, said the collaboration combined European funding with the UN’s technical and political expertise to support development programmes and improve the delivery of projects to Nigerians.
He said the partnership had become particularly important amid growing questions about multilateralism, international solidarity and development assistance in a changing global environment.
“Beyond even the financial support, which in Nigeria translates into projects that value more than $400 million a year, we are still having a strong strategic partnership,” he said.
The official explained that the EU and UN remained committed to supporting international cooperation, development assistance and humanitarian interventions, despite the challenges confronting multilateral institutions.
He said the meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to renew their commitment, assess areas requiring improvement and identify gaps affecting the implementation of their joint programmes.
A major issue discussed, he said, was the need for the Nigerian government to strengthen its engagement and mobilise more domestic resources to address development shortfalls and humanitarian needs.
“This meeting was a clear indication that we need to work together and have the government of Nigeria increase its engagement and mobilisation of domestic resources to address the development gap and the humanitarian assistance need in the country,” he said.
On investment priorities, the official said the EU was working under its Global Gateway Strategy to attract more investments to Nigeria, while identifying education, governance, democracy, human rights and security as essential conditions for sustainable investment.
He said the EU and UN had reviewed a portfolio of about 32 projects, worth more than $500 million, funded by the EU and implemented in collaboration with 16 UN agencies.
The arrangement, he explained, enables the EU to provide financial contributions and grants while drawing on the UN’s technical capacity and field expertise to implement programmes in Nigeria.
He stressed, however, that the partnership was not limited to the two international institutions, but also involved Nigerian authorities at federal and state levels.
According to him, aligning projects with Nigeria’s development priorities is critical to ensuring that international assistance addresses local needs and produces tangible benefits for citizens.
“We are strong believers in a multilateralism that delivers, that delivers for the people and is efficient on the ground,” he said.
The official said the review was also intended to identify ways of improving project implementation and ensuring that the benefits of EU-funded programmes reached Nigerians more effectively.
He added that the partnership would continue to support development and humanitarian assistance while seeking stronger coordination among international partners and Nigerian authorities.
The renewed emphasis on domestic resource mobilisation comes as the EU and UN seek to strengthen the sustainability of development interventions by combining external assistance with greater national ownership and improved implementation.
The official said the ultimate objective was to make the partnership more effective in responding to Nigeria’s development challenges and delivering practical benefits to its citizens.
