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Corruption Robs Nigeria of $470m Aid
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published August 23rd, 2010
- Washington File
- Unrated
THE growing incidence of corruption may have rob Nigeria a whooping $470 million being given out by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to African countries to tackle poverty in the continent.
No less than 18 African countries and some Latin American countries are currently enjoying the largesse courtesy of the United States of American government.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.
Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC is changing the conversation on how best to deliver smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results.
However, the corporation forms partnerships with some of the world’s poorest countries, but only those committed to good governance, economic freedom and investments in their citizens.
MCC provides these well-performing countries with large-scale grants to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth.
So far some African countries like Kenya, Niger, Tanzania, Senegal and Zambia and other non African countries like Paraguay, Indonesia, Philippines etc have all benefited from the $470 million under the threshold program of the poverty eradication initiative.
In spite of the millions of poverty stricken people in the country, Nigeria may have lost out because for
a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to policies that promote political and economic freedom, investments in education and health, the sustainable use of natural resources, control of corruption, and respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, as measured by 17 different policy indicators.
MCC undertakes a four steps process of indentify, publish, issue and select. Although Nigeria has always been listed for identification since 2004 when the initiative took off, the country has not scaled through predictably on account of its high level corruption index.
To be a candidate for MCC program assistance, countries must not exceed certain per-capita, annual income levels; not be subject to any number of U.S. or international sanctions.
The World Bank sets the income levels annually in late June or early July. Based on this information, MCC establishes a candidate country report.
No less than 18 African countries and some Latin American countries are currently enjoying the largesse courtesy of the United States of American government.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.
Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC is changing the conversation on how best to deliver smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results.
However, the corporation forms partnerships with some of the world’s poorest countries, but only those committed to good governance, economic freedom and investments in their citizens.
MCC provides these well-performing countries with large-scale grants to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth.
So far some African countries like Kenya, Niger, Tanzania, Senegal and Zambia and other non African countries like Paraguay, Indonesia, Philippines etc have all benefited from the $470 million under the threshold program of the poverty eradication initiative.
In spite of the millions of poverty stricken people in the country, Nigeria may have lost out because for
a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to policies that promote political and economic freedom, investments in education and health, the sustainable use of natural resources, control of corruption, and respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, as measured by 17 different policy indicators.
MCC undertakes a four steps process of indentify, publish, issue and select. Although Nigeria has always been listed for identification since 2004 when the initiative took off, the country has not scaled through predictably on account of its high level corruption index.
To be a candidate for MCC program assistance, countries must not exceed certain per-capita, annual income levels; not be subject to any number of U.S. or international sanctions.
The World Bank sets the income levels annually in late June or early July. Based on this information, MCC establishes a candidate country report.
