The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced additional 17 million dollars development assistance to fulfill the goals outlined in its 2015 Development Objectives Assistance Agreement with Nigerian government.
A statement by the U.S. Embassy on Wednesday in Abuja said that the amount brought the total of development assistance provided under the agreement to 719 million dollars.
“The additional funding will support Nigeria’s power sector needs with 14 million dollars, help increase agricultural productivity and economic growth with two million dollars, and strengthen good governance with one million dollars.
“USAID partners with Nigeria to stimulate economic growth, promote a healthier, more educated population and strengthen good governance,” the embassy stated.
It stated that USAID collaborated with some federal ministries and state-level government counterparts to structure the bilateral assistance agreement, which would run through 2020.
The federal ministries, it stated, included the Nigerian Ministry of Budget and National Planning; the Nigerian Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Power, and Education.
It stated that in addition to the development assistance funding, the U.S. provided humanitarian assistance to people affected by the ongoing conflict and severe food insecurity in Nigeria and throughout the Lake Chad Basin.
It stated that since the 2016 fiscal year, the U.S. had provided more than 694 million dollars in humanitarian assistance and continued to be the single largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the region.