Nigeria Pays Full Assessment To AU For Year 2023
In a significant display of commitment, Nigeria has fulfilled its financial obligations to the African Union (AU) by making the complete payment of its assessed contributions for the year 2023.
The confirmation came from Ambassador Adamu Ibrahim Lamuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the 43rd Ordinary Session of the AU’s Executive Council in Nairobi, Kenya.
Ambassador Lamuwa commended Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, for not only serving as the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) but also for prioritizing prompt payment of financial assessments as a responsible AU member-state.
Speaking during the Executive Council meeting, the Permanent Secretary shared Nigeria’s position on the proposed 2024 AU Budget. He welcomed the inclusion of the economic outlook of African countries and the performance evaluation of AU departments and organs over the past three years in the budget drafting process.
“Nigeria emphasized the importance of a results-oriented budget that promotes austerity, avoids redundancy, and ensures accountability and prudent resource management. This serves as an example to encourage other member countries to fulfill their financial obligations,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Permanent Secretary called for enhanced synergy and complementarity among AU organs and departments. He urged the AU Commission (AUC) to minimize travel costs by hosting more meetings at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Compliance with internal audit processes was also emphasized to uphold transparency and accountability within the organization.
President Bola Tinubu is set to attend the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting on Sunday in Nairobi, where various crucial discussions will be held. Ambassador Lamuwa highlighted that the ministerial-level meeting, which preceded the participation of Heads of State, adopted the theme of Education for the AU in 2024. This aligns with President Tinubu’s domestic focus on education as a priority area, making his leadership in Nigeria and ECOWAS timely and advantageous.
As one of the major financial contributors to the AU, Nigeria, along with four other member-states, plays a vital role in supporting the AU’s 2023 budget of $654.8 million. The budget is primarily financed through annual statutory contributions, voluntary contributions from development partners, and miscellaneous income. Development partners cover approximately 67% of the total amount, while member-states, including Nigeria, contribute the remaining balance based on the approved scale of assessment by the Executive Council.
