Andris Piebalgs, who was then the EU development commissioner, in a discussion with Bashir Yuguda, Nigeria’s supervising minister for national planning, during the signing of the 2014-2020 EU national indicative program for Nigeria in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo by: European Union
Despite abundant natural resources and having one of the highest growth rates in Africa at over 6 percent, conditions in Nigeria remain critical.
Problems in governance and limited access to the most basic services have led to poor socio-economic indicators. The country suffers from high infant and maternal mortality, as well as high malnutrition rates. An estimated 60 percent of the population lives below the poverty threshold and high unemployment among young people has reached alarming levels. The northern states are of particular concern due to prevalent conflict and instability caused by extremist activities.
