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U.S. Ambassador swears in new USAID Director for Nigeria

U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Robin Renée Sanders administered the oath of office Friday, July 24 to Dr. Ray Kirkland as the Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nigeria. Kirkland is a career member of the USAID Senior Foreign Service and previously served as Mission Director for USAID’s Regional Services Center in Budapest, Hungary (covering Europe and Eurasia) and in Tanzania. Since July 2008, he has served as the AFRICOM Director of Programs.

As director for USAID’s Mission in Nigeria, Kirkland will oversee programs to help Nigerians strengthen their democratic institutions, promote economic growth and improve education and health services, including the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Nigeria is one of the largest USAID missions in the world. “Dr. Kirkland’s demonstrated leadership abilities, professional integrity, and analytical skills will be invaluable to him in USAID’s role in the U.S. Government’s dynamic and interagency team supporting our U.S.-Nigeria Framework for Partnership," Ambassador Sanders said.

Prior to joining USAID, Kirkland served as a U.N. advisor in Indonesia (1980-82). He also served in the U.S. Navy in Cuba, the Philippines, and South Vietnam as a Special Duty Officer, and holds the retired rank of Commander. Dr. Kirkland holds a BA degree in Anthropology from the University of New Mexico, an MA degree in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee, a post-graduate certificate in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge, England, and a Ph.D. in Demography from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.


 

USAID/Nigeria Mission Director commends 51 local government chairmen on health and education initiatives

On February 17, 2009, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director Ms. Sharon L. Cromer commended the successes achieved through the building of local community coalitions in 51 local government areas supported by USAID over the past five years. She said this in Abuja at a strategic workshop organized for the chairmen of the 51 local governments and several universal basic education boards (SUBEB) and other stakeholders in the provision of basic health and education services. The theme of the workshop was “Empowering Our Communities for Sustainable Development”.
Funded by the United States Government through USAID, the Community Participation for Action in the Social Sector (COMPASS) project is a $100 million five-year integrated health and education intervention designed to create an environment in which Nigerians are involved in improving health and education services in their communities. The project provided assistance to 51 selected local government areas in Bauchi, Kano, Lagos and Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Through USAID support, COMPASS established and empowered 215 community coalitions and 731 quality improvement teams across the four states and the FCT.


Ms. Cromer also noted that local government leadership is the citizens’ first point of contact with government and that together, with empowered communities, they can improve health and education services for their people. “There is no need to wait, you are the ones you have been waiting for” she said, referencing United States President Barak Obama’s call to action.


The two-day workshop was designed to provide the chairmen with the skills to execute concrete and sustainable strategies to further empower their communities towards positive health and education outcomes. It also provided an opportunity to document the achievements of these communities which are seen as models of community participation and can be scaled up or replicated to ensure their long-term sustainability.


Also at the workshop were Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin and Dr. Akilu Indabawa, political adviser to the Vice President. Hajia Amina Ibrahim, President Umaru Yar’adua’s special assistant on Millennium Development Goals, presented a keynote address where she stressed on the importance of health and education as building blocks of social development. “They are crucial to Nigeria’s attainment of the Millennium Development Goals” she said.
 

USAID holds Financial Management Workshop for Nigerian implementing partners

From February 24 through 26, 2009, thirty-six participants drawn from nine Nigerian U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) implementing partners attended a three-day Financial Management Workshop in Abuja.

Organized in collaboration with Management Sciences for Health (MSH), USAID’s Office of Financial Management (OFM), and the USAID Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA), the workshop was the second in a series of capacity building initiatives for Nigerian implementing partners who receive funding to execute USAID’s HIV/AIDS & Tuberculosis interventions. The goal of the workshop was to improve understanding of the financial management requirements under each partner’s respective cooperative agreement. The workshop focused on reviewing cooperative agreement standard provisions; audit management, advance management and cash flow; budget realignment; and sub-award / sub-grantee management. Preparation of financial disclosure forms was presented in a case study format.

The implementing partners at the workshop included: Hope Worldwide Nigeria (HWWN), Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Gembu Center for HIV/AIDS Advocacy in Nigeria (GECHAAN), Young Women Christian Association of Nigeria (YWCA), Pro-Health International (PHI), Christian Health Association of Nigeria (CHAN), Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPHWAN), Network on Ethics, Law, HIV/AIDS Prevention, Support and Care (NELA) and Society for Family Health (SFH).

Feedback from the participants was positive; with one partner stating that “it was one of the best workshops as it provided an avenue to clarify some sensitive issues and further broaden our perspective on these awards.”

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, USAID Deputy Mission Director, Ms. Mikaela Meredith highlighted that all the participating partners are funded from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and are implementing interventions exceeding $75 million targeted at people living with HIV (PLWHA) including orphans and vulnerable children, their families and their communities. Their interventions focus on prevention, care and treatment of PLWHA, as well as counseling and testing.

 
 

 

 

 

USAID agri-business partner wins United Nations business and development award

On September 24, 2008, Olam Nigeria Limited, a private sector partner of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), received the 2008 World Business and Development Award (WBDA). This award was also presented to nine other recipients during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Olam Nigeria was selected by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as a winner for demonstrating a clear linkage between core business practices and the contribution the project makes to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

In 2006, USAID/Nigeria formed a public-private partnership with Olam Nigeria to promote commercial agriculture development through the USAID Maximizing Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites (MARKETS) activity managed by Chemonics International. Olam Nigeria Limited is a global leader in supply chain management of agricultural products and food ingredients. The Olam-Chemonics-USAID partnership has provided over 10,000 farmers with secure markets, high quality inputs, access to commercial finance, and technical assistance to produce high quality rice. It has also increased rice farmers’ yields by 175% and their net incomes by more than 230% between 2006 and 2008. This has contributed to the realization of the first Millennium Development Goal: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The joint venture also developed a business approach towards food security which can be used as a model for other commodities and in other countries.

WBDA is supported by the International Chamber of Commerce, UNDP and International Business Leaders Forum, in association with the Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Kennedy School of Government, the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) and the Financial Times.

Representatives from USAID, Chemonics International and Olam Nigeria Limited attended the ceremony which took place on the eve of a high-level meeting on Millennium Development Goals hosted by the United Nations Secretary General.


 

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Last Updated on: July 29, 2009