NGF, UNDP Deepen Partnership To Boost State-level Investment, Financing

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have strengthened their collaboration to enhance sustainable investment and subnational economic development across Nigeria.
Yunusa Abdullahi, Director of Media and Strategic Communications at NGF, disclosed that the commitment followed a visit by a UNDP delegation led by Ms Elsie Attafuah, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, to the NGF Secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
The partnership, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), will focus on innovative financing models to help states mobilize investment, bridge infrastructure gaps, and enhance fiscal capacity. Initiatives include establishing a Subnational Development Finance Lab, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Competency Framework, and a State Investment Readiness Index.
Dr Abdulateef Shittu, NGF Director-General, described the engagement as “a timely step in deepening Nigeria’s subnational development agenda.” He highlighted the NGF’s Investopedia digital platform, which aggregates over 269 investment-ready projects across states, as evidence of states’ readiness to drive national transformation.
Ms Attafuah emphasised that UNDP will support states in agriculture, energy transition, healthcare, education, and the digital economy, ensuring investments translate into jobs, improved access, and resilience. Dr Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist for Africa, added that UNDP’s technical assistance would combine capital mobilization, governance reforms, and data-driven planning to create sustainable financing mechanisms blending public and private capital.