Nigeria—Policy Development Facility Phase II (PDF II)

The Policy Development Facility II was a flexible, rapid-response facility set up to support Champions of Change in the Nigerian government, ministries, departments, and agencies in creating and implementing vital social and economic policies to help reduce poverty in Nigeria. PDF II supported the Champions of Change—reform-minded ministers and other high-level government officials—through embedded advisers who provided technical guidance and advice and through studies and research to create an evidence base for reform and to galvanise action.

Sample Activities

• Support key economic reformers and organisations through qualified embedded advisers using sustainable knowledge management systems.
• Promote evidence-based, pro-poor policy dialogue to strengthen the institutional linkages between the suppliers and consumers of information.
• Use highly innovative “anecdote circles” to engage groups in experiential sharing, conflict resolution, team building, and sustainable action for reform.

Select Results

• Created 31,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs as a result of support across a number of initiatives, including energising economies, green bonds, innovation hubs, and fertiliser initiatives.
• Deployed 128 embedded advisers across 155 projects to support Nigeria’s reforms for poverty reduction and economic growth.
• Established the Non-oil Export Community of Practice ensuring their interests and concerns are reflected in the Nigerian Government strategies, policies, and legislation.
• Helped the Development Bank of Nigeria to disburse 619 million naira to more than 300 micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and another 1.5 billion naira has been made available for those small firms.
• Through programme assistance, 184.2 billion naira was saved for the Nigerian government on its top five expenditure items. For every pound the UK government spent on technical assistance, Nigeria was able to save £3,953 in excess expenditure, and an additional £89 to support budgetary expenditure.
• Supported and oversaw the Energizing Economies Initiative, which helped ensure clean, reliable, and affordable off-grid energy solutions to small firms within strategic economic clusters. This private-public initiative provided a stable supply of clean and affordable energy to more than 12,000 shops in markets in Kano, Lagos, and Aba, and supported an estimated 9,000 jobs.
• Supported the implementation of Nigeria’s electrification strategy, expected to encourage additional private sector involvement and investments in power generation for homes and enterprises. The sustainability of the plan was boosted by securing $550 million in financing from the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
• Facilitated the signing of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which established a free trade area among African countries aimed at fostering trade, job creation, and reducing unemployment and acting as catalyst for economic development.