Nigeria receives $26.9bn foreign support in 6 yrs — Minister

Mr Clement Agba, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, says Nigeria has received $26.94 billion Development Assistance funds from International Donors between 2015 and 2020.

Agba made this known on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing House of Representatives Committee on Civil Society and Development Partners on Donor Funds Receipts, Transfers and Disbursement to Government Agencies, Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria.

Breaking down the figure, Agba said that the amount comprised $ 2.34 billion received in 2015, $1.15 billion gotten in 2016 and $ 774.93 million collected in 2017.

The minister said that $22.02 billion was obtained in 2018, while $655.64 million was received in 2019 and $5.64 million got in 2020.

According to him, these donations come from the European Development Fund (EDF) and the United Nations Development Systems (UNDS).

He explained that some of the funds also came from China through the Bilateral Agreement between the Government of Nigeria and the Peoples Republic of China signed since 1972.

Agba said some funds came from Japan Activities in Nigeria via the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

He said that others came from the Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for lnternational Development (USAID) and the German International Cooperation (GIZ).

According to him, the ministry does not receive donor funds, hence cannot transfer or disburse what is not received.

He said that Nigeria does not currently qualify for budget support because it is not classified as very poor but as a lower middle income country that is only qualified for projects/programmes support.

“The implication of this is that Donors do not give us the funds for management, rather Donors work with the sectoral stakeholders to fund the project directly after identifying the needs by the MDAs/States in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.

“For the purpose of clarification, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning is responsible for coordinating Nigeria’s multilateral and bilateral economic cooperation including development aid and technical assistance programmers by signing of cooperation agreements.

“These agreements are signed after obtaining Power of Attorney from Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the ministry also facilitates the implementation of programmes and projects as well as carrying out monitoring and evaluation.

“In carrying out these functions, the role of the ministry is to coordinate the Bilateral and Multilateral Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs), as well as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

“Interventions in these identified areas are done directly in collaboration with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) as well as States and Local Government Areas through their implementing Agencies.

“In view of the above, procurement is carried out directly by the Donors,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Kabiru Idris (APC-Kano) said that the committee had received several petitions, alleging misappropriation, misuse, and diversion of donor funds.

He said that petitions on falsification of performance reports for the purpose of obtaining more funds from Donor Agencies/Organisations had also reached the committee.

The lawmaker said that the committee had also received a referral from the House of Representatives, mandating it to investigate the operations of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) so as to ascertain their sources of funding.

He said that the committee is expected to find out the bases of operations and locations of NGOs following a deliberation on a motion titled “Need for Special Intervention in the Protracted Situation in the Country” by the green chambers.

“It was in the light of the foregoing that we wrote you two letters:

“To brief the committee on how the Department of International Corporation has been carrying out its responsibilities of managing Multilateral and Bilateral Economic Cooperation including Development Aid and Technical Assistance Programmes.

“Also Donor funds received by Government Agencies and NGOs from 2015 to date and the operations of NGOs particularly those operating in the Northeast, so as to ascertain their sources of funding, their bases of operations and their locations,” he said.

The chairman said that the information gathered from the interaction would enable the Committee to effectively carry out its oversight mandate.

Kabir said that the committee would embark on further engagements with NGOs, both local and international for more clarifications.