Tracking development cooperation across Nigeria

In 2023, over 158 organisations published IATI data on projects in Nigeria totalling over USD 5 billion. As the government works towards the goal of lifting over 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2030, the timely and open data IATI provides is crucial to driving evidence based decisions that can maximise the impact of development cooperation.

Since joining IATI in 2015, Nigeria has played an active role advocating for transparency of aid and development resources. From 2020-2022, Nigeria served as partner country representative on the Governing Board of IATI, and was elected chair of the Governing Board between 2022-2024.

Nigeria’s government has increasingly used IATI data to improve governance and economic planning.

Nigeria’s government has increasingly used IATI data to improve governance and economic planning. The Central Bank of Nigeria, for example, uses this data to calculate balance of payments, ensuring more accurate financial management. The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning relies on the data to develop a more informed Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, improving budgeting decisions. The National Assembly also uses this data to provide parliamentary oversight, providing accountability that funds are spent effectively.

According to Henry Asor Nkang, Development Assistance Database Manager at the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and former IATI Governing Board Chair “The government of Nigeria sees immense value in the International Aid Transparency Initiative and is using IATI data to track millions of dollars of development finance flowing into our country. We used IATI data to inform Nigeria’s Annual Development Cooperation Report, which monitors development financing to our country and informs government decisions about the future coordination of these resources”.

In 2024, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning scaled up their use of IATI data by launching the Nigeria Development Cooperation Dashboard, a tool designed to enhance transparency and accountability of development resources. The dashboard maps IATI data to Nigeria’s National Development Plan pillars and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing more effective monitoring of progress towards national goals, as well as attaining the SDGs. This helps the government to better track and measure outcomes, adjust their strategies in real time, and ensure that resources are directed to the most impactful initiatives.

The Nigeria Development Cooperation Dashboard also helps to foster trust and accountability among development partners, civil society and the public. By providing timely access to comprehensive data, the dashboard helps stakeholders to better understand where resources are going, how they are being used, and the tangible outcomes that they deliver.