Country Evaluation: NIGERIA Assessment Of Development Results Key Findings

1
Country Evaluation NIGERIAAssessment Of
Development Results Key Findings Corporate
Implications

• Evaluation Office
• October 2003

2
Nigerias Key Development Challenges

• Sluggish economic growth rates (3) lower than
  population growth rates of (2.8)
• Low trade investment and non competitiveness
• Debt situation (US28.5 billion) with debt
  servicing of US4 billion per annum or 42 of
  exports
• Economic diversification
• HIV/AIDS ( 5.8)

• Poverty and inequality- poorest 10 1.6 share
  while richest 10 have 40.8 share of national
  income.
• Regional income and HDI disparities- 1996 HDI-
  Southern states 0.373, Northern states- 0.148
• HDI ranking 148
• Unemployment esp. unemployed youth ( 10 of 3
  million get jobs in formal sector)

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Main FindingsStrengths Comparative Advantage

• Name recognition and government trust
  -perceived neutrality , no hidden agenda or
  conditionality
• Unique convening and coordination power (power
  of the UN flag) and tradition of advocacy on
  human development issues
• Global reach access to global knowledge
  networks
• Ability to raise and work on sensitive
  difficult issues (e.g. Peoples Vision 2010,
  NHDR 1996, 1998, 2001-2002, elections and
  conflict prevention Niger Delta)
• On the ground during Nigerias difficult years .
• Access to highest echelons of government at all
  levels

4
Some Challenges

• High staff turn over at senior management levels
• Too much bureaucracy and concern with
  processes rather than substance
• Frequent changes in corporate mandates and
  directions- challenge to achieving outcomes
• Location-failure to move to Abuja
• Risk of over commitment over extension
• Weak application of RBM tools little synergy
  between the programmes around SFR outcomes.

5
Key Development Results

• On the plus side
• Participatory community orientation
• Promising results under micro credit with UNCDF
• Some micro level successes in ICDPs
• Gains on policy front e.g Gender Policy at
  Federal level, Legislation Against Harmful
  Practices to Women adopted in 4 states.
• Innovative partnerships with private sector
  around conflict prevention corporate
  responsibility( NDDC, Chevron)
• Successful resource mobilization at state level
  matching UNDP 11.
• Elections support and partnership with donors
• NHDR 1996, 1998 2001/2002, NPF and HDF
• National Governance Programme

6
Key Development Results Strategic Positioning
Sustainability

• Wide geographical coverage and spread too thin
• High transaction costs and poor return on
  investment
• Eclectic mix of projects and programmes (e.g.
  health, water sanitation, adult literacy,
  micro-credit, Skills Development Centres (SDCs))
• Question of balance and scale -cumulative impact
  marginal
• Weak synergies - poor links to MDGs and UNDAF
• Danger of dependency and substituting for
  government efforts
• Sustainability, ownership and capacity issues a
  challenge

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Future Directions Recommendations

• Narrow the focus and geographical spread to a few
  states and themes
• Focus on innovative and successful community
  level pilots linked to policy level strategies
  and advocacy
• Work with NGOs/CBOS to deliver micro level
  replicable interventions
• Accord priority to states as entry points for
  both upstream and downstream work ( influence,
  resources and impact
• Deepen and strengthen consolidation of democracy
  
• UNDPs role catalytic not substitute for
  government efforts
• Engage private sector and aim for higher ratios
  in domestic resource mobilization
• Build substantive capacity for country office and
  move to Abuja

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Lessons Corporate Implications Vietnam and
Nigeria

• Ideas and knowledge as important as money in
  promoting change
• Linkages between localized programmes and poverty
  alleviation are difficult to demonstrate focus
  should be on how to impact the aggregate level
• Link micro level support to boarder policy goal
  and have clear exit strategy
• Piloting and innovations need coherent learning
  and internalization strategies within and between
  countries
• Operational toolbox is inadequate for advisory
  role
• Potential of practice area matrixing -
  unexplored?
• Country offices need top policy capacity
• Stability in senior management at CO level
  essential for results