§ 16. Mr. RobathanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of progress towards better governance and curbing corruption in Nigeria. [46055]
§ Clare ShortNigeria has a history of poor governance and very high levels of corruption which is the major cause of very high levels of poverty in this oil rich country. Nigeria transferred from military to civilian rule in 1999 amidst considerable optimism for reform. Improvements in the performance of Government and impact on corruption have been slow.
Freedom of speech has generally been observed but on corruption the Government have not done enough. The introduction of anti-corruption legislation and an anti-corruption commission are important but not sufficient. Strong implementation is needed.
My Department has expanded its involvement in Nigeria significantly since 1999. We are focused on improved governance at federal, state and local level but Nigeria is a difficult place to work and progress is slow.