Nigeria

Overview

With a population of about 148 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa―almost one out of every five sub-Saharan Africans lives within its borders.

Endowed with good access to skills, capital, technology, fertile land and mineral resources, Nigeria has enormous potential. The country's return to civilian government in 1999, followed by sound fiscal policy decisions, has brought economic stability and real gains in rural incomes. Nigeria is Africa's second-largest economy and its strategic geographic location make its stability important to the region.

Yet the challenges Nigeria faces are staggering: the country ranks 156 out of 187 countries on the United Nations 2011 human development index, and more than three out of five Nigerians live on less than $1.25/day. The same number is under 24 years of age. Nigerians, particularly women and children, experience some of the worst threats to health in Africa. According to UNICEF, one Nigerian woman dies every 10 minutes due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth, while more than 500 newborns die daily. About 60 percent of Nigerian mothers give birth without the help of a skilled birth attendant. Nigeria also has low immunization coverage, high incidence of HIV/AIDS and is one of the four remaining endemic countries in the world for polio.

Nigeria is a young but stable democracy. Its public institutions are still fragile and face the challenge of encouraging unity in a country divided along lines of ethnicity, religion, regionalism and class―each with vastly opposing interests.

These divisions, along with disputes over access to resources, have escalated localized insecurity and conflict, particularly in the Niger Delta where oil production is concentrated. Oil represents 90 percent of Nigeria's government revenue, and the lower global price for crude oil that followed the global economic crisis precipitated a fiscal deficit which is continuing. This crisis also affected Nigeria's economy through declining investment.

Nigeria is also extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change including rising sea levels, and changing seasons and rain patterns, which affect agriculture and increase desertification. Three out of four rural Nigerians depend on natural resources for their livelihood.

Thematic Focus

CIDA draws on the priorities identified in Nigeria's National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) (PDF, 3.53 KB, 99 pages), along with the President of Nigeria's Seven Point Agenda, Vision 20: 2020 (PDF 8 MB, 251 pages) and state-level strategies, to guide its programming in Nigeria. The goal of CIDA's program in Nigeria is to help the country achieve equitable and sustainable poverty reduction by improving the country's ability to use its own resources for development. CIDA will focus on securing a future for children and youth, and stimulating sustainable economic growth in two states: Cross River and Bauchi.

Children and youth

CIDA continues to help Nigeria reduce its high rate of maternal mortality by providing safe conditions for birth. CIDA is also helping Nigeria increase child survival by improving primary health care systems at the local level and reducing preventable childhood diseases. This includes enhancing the skills and knowledge of front-line community health workers.

Economic growth

CIDA is working with Nigerian organizations and government bodies to improve how the country manages its natural resources―these are key to long-term sustainable economic growth. This includes adapting to climate change, setting up ways for local groups to monitor use of natural resources and reducing environmental degradation where it directly affects people's livelihoods and food security.

Progress on Aid Effectiveness

Nigeria adheres to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (PDF, 317 KB, 23 pages). Donors are working together to harmonize aid programs and align them with local priorities.

Accomplishments 2009-2010

Children and youth

• Strengthened the capacity of health technology schools to provide appropriate, quality education to primary health care workers
• Helped develop a gender-sensitive health information system to improve primary health care services for citizens and helped conduct the first data collection cycle, gathering vital health statistics on maternal health of 11,300 women of childbearing age in Bauchi and 14,200 in Cross River

Economic growth

• Helped produce a gender and climate change toolkit for use across the country to strengthen the participation of women in climate change adaptation
• Improved the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers by increasing their agricultural productivity while reducing environmental and land degradation

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