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NIGERIAN GOVERNORS MEET COURTESY OF U.S. NGO'S SUPPORT
National Democratic Institute funds Abuja forum
April 1999 |
Program participants: Dick Thornburgh, former governor of Pennsylvania
and former attorney-general of the United States (right); Carole Hillard,
Lieutenant - Governor of the South Dakota (center) and
Chris Fomunyoh (left) |
By Jim Fisher-Thompson, USIA Staff Writer WASHINGTON - Newly
elected state governors in Nigeria recently met to discuss issues of importance
in the ongoing democratic transition thanks to funding from the National
Democratic Institute (NDI), a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated
to self-governance training worldwide. According to an NDI press release,
Nigeria's 36 governors-elect held a three-day forum "to discuss matters
of mutual interest, their roles and responsibilities as elected officials,
priorities that they may face upon assuming office, and common issues
of concern to their constituents."
Several Americans participated in the forum, held in the federal capital
of Abuja, including: former governor of Pennsylvania Richard Thornburgh,
and Lieutenant-Governor of South Dakota Carole Hillard. NDI's Regional
Director for Central, East and West Africa Christopher Fomunyoh helped
organize the gathering. |
Under the new democratic transition guided by Nigerian Head of State General
Abdulsalammi Abubakar, elections for local government took place last
December followed by the vote for state governors and assemblies on January
9. After the presidential election on February 27, the military regime
has promised to hand over power to President-elect Olusegun Obasanjo May
29. |
| Nigerian governors discussed three broad subjects relevant to good
governance, the NDI press release noted, including: federalism; the
role of the state executive and his relationship to the federal government
the state assembly and constituents; and the relationship among governors
and their role and relationship with the leaders and members of their
political parties.
The American participants and other foreign panelists shared their
experiences and suggested ways "these important relationships can be
developed and maintained." |
Former governor of Pennsylvania Dick Thornburgh (left), NDI Deputy
Director for the West and East Africa Shari Bryan (center) and
Chris Fomunyoh (right) |
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During the forum, the Nigerian governors formed three working groups
to discuss issues of particular importance to their states, including:
- upgrading public utilities such as water, electricity and roads;
- improving education, healthcare, housing and transportation services;
- solving conflicts and promoting peace and security;
- and promoting economic development in the areas of industry, agriculture
and in job creation.
At the conclusion of the forum, the NDI release noted, "the participants
requested that NDI organize a follow-up workshop and continue to provide
technical assistance to the governors as they work to establish their
own structures within the country. The participants urged NDI to extend
its capacity building programs and workshops to the three political
parties, as well as to the National Assembly and National Executive
Council, in order to foster a durable and sustainable democracy in Nigeria." |
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Governor of Nassarawa State in Nigeria (right), Lieutenant-Governor
of the South Dakota (center) and
Chris Fomunyoh (left)
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Since 1989 the United States has spent about $400 million on promoting
democracy in Africa. The bulk of the good governance programs have been
administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID),
which now funds programs in 40 African nations.
USAID Assistant Administrator for Africa Vivian Lowery Derryck on
April 29 told a House Africa Subcommittee hearing looking into democracy
in sub-Saharan Africa that "USAID is bullish [optimistic] about the
prospects for long-term democratic development in Africa."
She told the lawmakers that USAID's assistance in Nigeria is occurring
in three phases: |
- the pre-election period, in which aid has been devoted mainly to
child survival programs and other humanitarian aid;
- the post-election, pre-inaugural phase, which has focussed on capacity-building
programs such as the NDI forum as well as seminars on conflict resolution;
- the post-inaugural period in which USAID will do an assessment,
requested by the Nigerian government, of economic restructuring, civilian/military
relations, and HIV/AIDS, which is becoming a huge detriment to democratization.
The results of the assessment, Derryck said, "will then guide our
future programming for Nigeria." |
 
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