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IFES - Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria adopted a new constitution in 1999. The economy is dependent on petroleum revenue, which until recently was squandered. Now the administration under President Obasanjo must reign in control of the economy while regulating religious tensions and enforce political stability. Nigeria’s 2003 national and state elections, while flawed on many levels, witnessed many improvements in the electoral process and were largely considered a step forward for a country wracked by authoritarian rule and political instability since independence. To ensure that this period of relative stability is not an anomaly, IFES and its partners are supporting Nigerian institutions in deepening the roots of democracy in this important West African country. 

For more information about IFES’ programs in Nigeria, visit the IFES-Nigeria website.

Current Projects

Support to Electoral Process in Nigeria

In preparation for Nigeria's 2007 elections, IFES provided technical assistance and strategic capacity building to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a range of CSOs and coalitions working on electoral issues. IFES strengthened political party participation in the election by giving particular attention to party finances and the transparency and accountability of political parties. Following problematic national elections, IFES monitored the election complaints tribunal process, initiated a conference to determine a plan for moving forward democratically, and assessed the impact of voter education through a national survey. IFES recommitted itself to bringing about electoral reform, which is now needed more than ever.

Enhancing the Credibility of Nigeria's 2007 Elections

A key focus of IFES’ work in Nigeria has been strengthening the capacity of election administration bodies to help ensure credible elections and strategic planning for election management. Under a program that is funded by USAID (and the United Kingdom’s DFID) IFES will continue to emphasize the themes of election administration strengthening and improved strategic planning, but will also respond to needs emerging from the 2003 electoral process that are critical to the success of elections in 2007. A critical point of reference for those activities is the recommendations of the Electoral Review Team, which conducted a post-election assessment sponsored by IFES, the United Nations Election Assistance Division and the U.K. Commonwealth Secretariat. Two of the most important areas for reform identified in analyses of the 2003 elections are the legal framework for elections and the system of election dispute resolution.

IFES’ approach will contribute in a substantial way to a more accountable, participatory and better-informed electoral process in Nigeria. Activities outlined in this proposal will yield:

• Increased capacity of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in managing the electoral process in a transparent and independent manner;
• A strengthened legal and regulatory framework;
• Improved strategic and operational planning by INEC; and
• More efficient and effective resolution of electoral disputes.

IFES will work in support of these objectives by providing technical advice, training and material support to INEC and other key election stakeholders.

Election Support 2007

In March 2005, IFES was awarded an 18-month £3 million grant by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). The program runs from March 2005 to August 2006 and will be carried out in concert with Global Rights and the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA).

The Nigerian Election Support 2007 project represents a comprehensive approach to addressing the concerns and lessons learned outlined in the multitude of post-election assessments conducted following national elections in 2003. Some of the key recommendations emerging from those assessments included making the system of voter registration continuous, eliminating the multi-layered process for counting and tabulating election results, conducting a participatory review of the law pertaining to elections, and increasing civil society efforts to educate voters and monitor the polls.

The consortium works with a range of Nigerian stakeholders whose common goal is to improve the electoral process in 2007. By providing expert technical assistance to its local partners, the consortium is building the capacity of Nigerian institutions to attain this goal.

Voter Education

In April 2004, IFES was awarded $188,000 by the Australian Government (AusAID) to support voter education efforts in Nigeria. IFES worked with the National Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) to produce a voter education handbook intended for use in school curricula and elsewhere. Through the DFID program, IFES plans to facilitate the widespread distribution of the handbook. IFES has also partnered with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to produce a 30-minute voter education docudrama, intended for broadcast in the run-up to the 2007 elections. The docudrama is being filmed in Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba, as well as in English and Pidgin English and is expected to be ready for broadcast by September 2005.