Business EU Plans to Increase Grants to Nigeria to Help Boost Electricity Supply

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LequteMan

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The EU plans to increase financial aid to boost electricity supply in Nigeria in the next seven years, the Head of the EU Delegation in Nigeria, Mr Michael Arrion, while addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja has revealed.

He said Nigerian officials and their EU counterparts met recently in Brussels to decide on programming priorities for the next seven years and that the EU financial grant to Nigeria under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) for 2008-2013 was 677 million euros.

Arrion also said that the EU had in the last five years focused mainly on three main areas of intervention, namely economic governance, political governance and democracy and social governance.

"Besides seeking to consolidate on the gains of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), the 11th EDF, 2014 to 2020, as envisaged will address critical sectors like electricity, food and national security.’’

He, however, said that the amount EU had earmarked for the next 11th EDF had not be finalised.

Arrion, who commended the successful implementation of the privatisation exercise in the electricity industry, said that the EU has contributed 27 million euro to improving access to renewable energy in six states in the ongoing projects that will run till 2018.

On security, the ambassador said that the EU had been hampered by limited financial resources to support the military aspect of security in Nigeria but assured that the EU was working with the office of the National Security Adviser to strengthen the capacity of security agencies.

Arrion also pledged EU’s commitment to the holding of credible elections in Nigeria and highlighted its 20million euro contribution to support the Nigeria-Electoral Cycle from 2012 to 2015.


“Nigeria will not develop with aid outside but from its abundant human and material resources.

“Private money not public money will develop Nigeria” he said.


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