FCDO Development Director Series: Nigeria

Join us as we host Cynthia Rowe, Development Director in Nigeria for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), who will present FCDO’s development strategy, programming and pipeline of opportunities in Nigeria.

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and one of the world’s largest democracies. As a continental leader, it dominates West Africa economically with its significant oil revenue. As a global player on an upwards trajectory, with its incredible diversity, population growth, economic potential, and cultural reach, Nigeria will be central to the UK’s thinking on Africa for the next 50 years.

However, Nigeria is under increasing stress, managing 3 primary long-term challenges with regional and global implications – conflict and terrorism, climate change, and demography. These issues are further interlinked with secondary challenges, including high levels of extreme poverty, impacting Nigeria’s development, social contract, and stability.

FCDO’s development priorities in Nigeria include job creation and economic growth, women and girls, humanitarian support and climate resilience, which are all underpinned by the need to strengthen governance. Nigeria had an allocated ODA budget of £72.3 million 2023-2024 and an indicative ODA budget of £120 million for the financial year 2024-2025. Cynthia Rowe will offer us updates on the current context on the ground as well as crucial insights into FCDO’s development strategy in the country.

Agenda:

BEI Introduction: 10 min

Presentation from Cynthia Rowe, FCDO Nigeria Development Director: 15 – 20 min

Q&A: 30 min