Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria have reaffirmed their joint commitment to promoting democratic governance across West Africa through the Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD).
The strategic initiative is aimed at promoting inclusive, accountable, and resilient political systems across the sub-region.
This was the outcome of a high-level engagement held at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar hosted the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, for a progress review and strategic dialogue on the RPD initiative.
The engagement, according to a statement issued by the Ministry, reaffirmed a strong, collective commitment to deepening democratic governance and institutional resilience across West Africa.
"It underscored the importance of strengthening the rule of law, safeguarding the independence and effectiveness of core democratic institutions, including the executive, legislature, judiciary, and electoral bodies, and expanding civic space to foster inclusive and participatory governance.
This, it said, creates an opportunity for regional cooperation to consolidating democratic progress, promoting peace and stability, and fulfilling citizens’ aspirations for a transparent, accountable, and responsive leadership.
Ambassador Tuggar emphasized Nigeria’s unique leadership role within the African Union (AU) in driving regional approaches to governance reform.
He highlighted the Ministry’s resolve to work closely with UNDP and other key actors to align national strategies with regional frameworks to foster more transparent, inclusive, and sustainable democratic outcomes.
The Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD), the statement said seeks to provide a platform for African-led and context-specific solutions to democratic challenges.
It added "It brings together governments, civil society, academia, media, and development partners to design and implement innovative reforms rooted in African values and democratic principles.
"UNDP reiterated its support for the RPD through the provision of technical assistance, institutional capacity strengthening, research-informed policy development, and monitoring and evaluation.
"Ms. Attafuah reaffirmed UNDP’s dedication to working in partnership with the Nigerian government to scale the impact of the initiative across West Africa."
It disclosed that the programme will be piloted across West Africa, with Nigeria not only providing political leadership but also playing a central operational role in shaping the design, implementation, and knowledge-sharing processes.
"This renewed partnership represents a significant step forward in the implementation phase of the RPD and reflects Nigeria’s sustained commitment to promoting democratic resilience, rule of law, and inclusive governance across the West African sub-region.
For more information, the statement urged the public to contact: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja
Tel: +234 806 382 2449, and
United Nations Development Programme, Nigeria Christabel Chanda - Ginsberg, Public Engagement, Outreach & Partnerships Lead
Tel: +234 904 935 4441
christabel.chanda-ginsberg@undp.org