The Federal Government says it will set up a Donor Coordination Unit, DCU, to harmonise activities of development partners to be in line with national priorities.
Victoria Agba-Attah, the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, announced this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
She quoted Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, as stating this at a meeting with foreign donors
Mrs Ahmed explained that part of the mandate of the proposed DCU was to chart a roadmap for the establishment of a multi-donor trust fund to ensure best value for all donor assisted activities.
According to her, the unit will be co-chaired by herself and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba.
The statement also quoted Agba as saying: “Coordination of the activities of development partners in the country is now compulsory to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.
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“It is imperative that we establish an agreeable process for the coordination and effective management of development assistance in the country.
“Our mission is to be at par with international best practices and to achieve a mutual understanding and cooperation with a flexible framework of guidelines.’’
Mr Agba added that donors needed the guidance and direction of government to ensure that resources were beneficial to the populace.
According to him, the need to monitor the performance of all international commitments in order to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure even distribution of resources across the country can never be over emphasised.
He, however, urged donors and partners to update their reports in the Development Assistant Database, DAD, system domiciled in the ministry, as well as channel their interventions through the ministry.
The World Bank Country’s Director, Rachid Benmessaoud, lauded the two ministers for the new initiative.
He pledged the donors’ readiness to collaborate with government to achieve developmental goals.
NAN
