Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Paragraph: 23
The FCDO could support the Nigerian civil service by creating opportunities for the Nigerian Government...
Conclusion
The FCDO could support the Nigerian civil service by creating opportunities for the Nigerian Government to make the most of future skills development programmes: a) including a quota for trainees in the ICT skills development programme who will return to join the Nigerian civil service at both state and federal level as well as ensuring geographical distribution of trainees from northern and southern states. This programme should be complemented by appropriate FCDO support for NGOs and arms-length bodies currently building capacity in the Civil Service, as well as technology provision, to enable application of newly acquired skills; b) ensuring the Chevening Scholarship programme has a quota of scholars from the public sector of Nigeria for at least the next three years.
Paragraph Reference:
23
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
We do not agree this recommendation. The UK Government has supported the Nigerian civil service to build capacity and effectiveness but does not plan to introduce specific quotas for this audience in our skills programming. The UK Government has provided the Nigerian Government with support in niche, complex IT areas. Examples include: creating systems to monitor road asset management and maintenance (enabling major savings); designing a digital dashboard to monitor and plan power consumption and production; and supporting facilities to monitor the financial markets for risk. The UK is also supporting the Nigerian government to build cybersecurity capacity, including cybercrime detection and enforcement. Much of this support is currently delivered under Pillar 2 of the UK’s Digital Access Programme, which focuses on building partner countries’ capacity to prevent and respond to cyber- security risks and harms. The UK has advised the National Communications Council on strategies such as those for broadband and e-government. However, we do not agree with the recommendation to deliver direct training to civil servants on basic IT skills as it is hugely costly and is an issue where the Nigerian Government is well-placed to implement its own solution. The Chevening scholarships programme prides itself on its success in identifying future leaders and change-makers from around the world and Nigeria remains one of our priority countries. Chevening scholarships remain popular with an average of 9,000 applications a year, including many from members of the public sector. Nigeria, with between 38–50 awards each year, receives one of the largest allocations of scholarships. We have had many Chevening alumni go into the public sector, including a High Court of Justice Judge, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a Senior Executive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, among others. The Chevening Secretariat works closely with FCDO posts to identify priority constituencies, including the civil service of Nigeria and many other countries, in order to encourage and support applications from high-potential candidates. However, we do not ring fence awards; our policy to attract and select the best possible applicants through fair and open competition is a globally adhered to standard that sets us apart from others.