In a major step towards driving sustainable investment and enhancing state-level economic resilience, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has deepened its collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It states further that the move shall advance subnational investment and financing reforms across the country.
This was made known in a press release signed by Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, Director, Media & Strategic Communications, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
He said this was the outcome of a working visit by a high-level UNDP delegation led by Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, Resident Representative in Nigeria, and Dr. Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist for Africa and Head of the UNDP Economists’ Network.
Mallam Abdullahi stated that the engagement focused on exploring innovative financing models to help Nigeria’s 36 States mobilize investments, strengthen fiscal systems, and bridge infrastructure gaps.
Welcoming the delegation, Mr. Abdulateef Shittu, Director-General of the NGF, described the partnership as “a timely step in deepening Nigeria’s subnational development agenda.”
“We value UNDP’s partnership in helping States become more competitive and investment ready,” Shittu said. “Our goal is to create a pathway where subnational governments can independently attract, manage, and sustain investments that directly impact lives and livelihoods.”
Mr. Shittu highlighted the NGF’s recent launch of Investopedia, a digital investment intelligence platform showcasing over 269 investment-ready projects across Nigeria’s 36 States. He described the initiative as “a practical demonstration that Nigerian States are ready, willing, and able to lead the country’s transformation when provided with the right tools and partnerships.”
He further noted that the next phase of collaboration with UNDP will focus on three strategic priorities which includes: strengthening States’ fiscal and institutional capacity to attract long-term financing, establishing frameworks for blended and innovative finance and building a pipeline of bankable projects aligned with national and global sustainability goals.
“We see this partnership as catalytic,” he added. “With UNDP’s technical support and the Forum’s coordination structure, we can make subnational governments key drivers of Nigeria’s development narrative.”
In his remarks, Dr. Raymond Gilpin commended the NGF’s leadership for creating platforms that enable States to engage global investors and development partners.
“Nigeria’s States are essential building blocks of national development,” Gilpin said. “Our role at UNDP is to support the Forum in strengthening the systems that make investments viable from fiscal governance and data analytics to human capital and institutional efficiency.”
He emphasized that the collaboration aims to develop sustainable financing mechanisms that blend public and private capital while ensuring transparency and inclusivity in project implementation.
“We are ready to walk with the Forum in connecting the strategy, the financing, and the governance dots to make growth work for the people,” he affirmed.
Also speaking, Ms. Elsie G. Attafuah, UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, described the engagement as a continuation of UNDP’s long-standing partnership with the NGF to promote inclusive and sustainable development across the country.
“Our collaboration with the NGF represents a strategic partnership aimed at ensuring that no State is left behind in Nigeria’s development story,” she said.
Ms. Attafuah reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting States in five key sectors: agriculture, energy transition, healthcare, education, and the digital economy noting that these areas have the greatest potential for visible impact on citizens’ lives.
“This engagement is about helping States convert their opportunities into tangible investments that create jobs, expand access, and build resilience,” she added.
Both the NGF and UNDP agreed to formalize their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will outline technical assistance and pilot interventions in select States.
The partnership will also establish a Subnational Development Finance Lab, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Competency Framework, and a State Investment Readiness Index to benchmark competitiveness across Nigeria’s States.
“Together, we can convert Nigeria’s immense opportunities into transformative investments that uplift lives and strengthen local economies,” Mr. Shittu concluded.
