The United States has announced the sum of $50 million as for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
The budget will cover the training of journalists, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and technical assistance among others to ensure a transparent exercise.
US Consul General, Mr Will Stevens announced this on Monday in Ibadan capital of Oyo State during an open session of an election reporting workshop for journalists organised by West Africa Broadcast & Media Academy (WABMA).
He noted that the US government has been working closely with partners through US Agency for International Development(USAID) to ensure that every vote counts.
He added: “The US government has allocated over $50 million for technical assistance and support, training, for civil society organizations to support elections, transparency, elections processes, technical assistance, working on the IT systems among others.”
He emphasized that the US will continue to emphasise the value of the voting and protecting a free press.
He said: “We’re committed to initiatives here in Nigeria to build needed capacity. We funded training for hundreds of journalists on topics ranging from fact-checking, health reporting, defence and national security reporting, investigative journalism, election reporting and media ethics.”
