By Dele Ogbodo
The United Kingdom (UK) through the Department for International Development (DFID) and the United States’ Agency
for International Development (USAID), have pledged a combined total support of $60 million for the attainment and support of free fair and transparent election in 2019 through to 2020.
Mr. Joseph Abuku, the Press and Public Affairs Officer of the British High Commission, in a statement made available to SHARPEDGENEWS Online on Wednesday, said the financial assistance to the country which started since will roll with a time line of 6 years.
The statement further read: “The additional £5.5 million (US $7.3 million) pledged by the UK brings DFID’s contribution to the joint funding arrangements since 2014 to $26 million, augmenting the $36 million provided by USAID since that time, bringing the total funding support for free, fair, transparent, and peaceful Nigerian elections through this joint mechanism to $60 million over six years.”
According to Abuku, on June 22, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) amended a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend their joint funding arrangements to support Nigeria’s electoral processes through 2020 with an increased DFID contribution.
He said the amendment update was signed at the U.S. Embassy by USAID Mission Director Stephen M. Haykin and DFID Governance and Social Development Team Leader Oliver Blake.
“It will continue support for programs in election administration, voter education, and nonpartisan civil society domestic election monitoring, for the 2019 elections and the post-election period.
“Today’s signing is a reminder of the longstanding, shared commitment of the Nigerian, British, and American peoples to promoting democracy, in particular, peaceful and inclusive elections,” Haykin.” He said.