UN provides $60M for success of polls

The High Level Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General to Nigeria, Mohammed Ibn Chambas has said that the UN had provided the sum of $60 million to ensure the success of Nigeria’s general elections.

He made the revelation on Friday, March 27, during a press conference in Abuja.

“Several months even before this election, the UN deployed a Needs Assessment Mission and based on that needs assessment mission, certain areas were identified by INEC in particular,”Chambas said.

“We then came up with a budget which amounted to almost 60 million U.S. Dollars. This was mobilised for members-states and other international organisations and has been provided to Nigerian various institutions and organisations in the process of preparing towards this election,” he added.

“So that is the kind of ongoing work that the UN does throughout the period,” Chambas said.

He also explained why the UN was interested in Nigeria as a country.

“On economic issue, Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa. Politically, Nigeria is acknowledged leader. So for all these reasons, and of course, Nigeria is also the largest democracy in Africa and definitely one of the largest democracies in this world,” Chambas said.

“It is for this reason that the United Nations is particularly interested in this election and wants to be of help,” he added.

Nigeria’s elections are slated to begin tomorrow, March 28, with the Presidential and National Assembly elections.