The BBC World Service Trust is focusing on health, governance and human rights in Nigeria. We are working with a range of partners to produce the first unified, nation-wide campaign to stop HIV and AIDS, and to produce radio programmes that encourage dialogue and debate about key development issues, including the provision of public services in Nigeria.
We are also training journalists how to better report on the way that their government spends public money and to mobilise public opinion around government accountability.
Context
One hundred and forty million people live in Nigeria , the most populous country in Africa.
Nigeria is the economic powerhouse of West Africa and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Much of this growth is driven by the gas and oil sectors - Nigeria is the world's eighth largest exporter of oil.
Yet 92% of the population lives on less than $2 per day.
In 2005, creditor countries agreed to cancel $18 billion worth of Nigeria's international debt, because debt repayments were preventing the country from investing in development.
As a result, Nigeria has been able to allocate $1billion per year to support health, education, water and sanitation, environment and rural infrastructure since 2006.
Facts
- Nigeria is on track to meet the Millennium Development Goal of universal primary education by 2015
- In 2006, 145,000 teachers were retrained and 40,000 new teachers recruited
- However, 12 million children are still not in school
- Levels of knowledge of safe sex and HIV remain low - two-thirds or more of young women aged 15-24 years do not fully understand how HIV is transmitted
- There are nearly two million AIDS orphans in Nigeria
- Transparency International still ranks Nigeria as one of the world's most corrupt countries
Working in partnership
Health
We are working with a range of Nigerian broadcasters, media professionals and non-governmental organisations to produce the first unified, nation-wide campaign to change attitudes and behaviour around HIV and AIDS in Nigeria.
The campaign involves radio and television programmes, dramas and public service announcements.
In a survey of 2,426 people, 89% of respondents had seen or listened to at least one of our radio or television programmes about HIV and AIDS.
We are also producing drama and discussion programmes designed to improve the health of mothers and children. More
Governance and human rights
We are working with our Nigerian partner, Integrity, to train journalists how to better report on the way that their government spends public money and to mobilise public opinion around government accountability. More
We are also working with a wide range of Nigeria partners to produce and broadcast radio drama and discussion programmes that encourage dialogue and debate about key development issues, including citizens' social and economic rights and the provision of public services in Nigeria. More
