Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the Nigeria Countering Organised Crime and Corruption programme, (2) how much the programme cost, and (3) what indicators have been used to assess its success or failure.

The UK is committed to tackling organised crime and corruption around the world. As part of this work, the UK Government, through the National Crime Agency, delivers a Countering Organised Crime and Corruption programme in Nigeria. The programme provides mentoring and capacity building for units of the Nigerian Police Force to improve border security and anti-kidnap capacity, and to respond to organised crime groups in Nigeria. The programme budget was £3.1 million for 2019/20.

The Nigeria Countering Organised Crime and Corruption programme is evaluated each year. External consultants have been used to evaluate the programme in some years. It was given a grade A rating for meeting expectations in 2019/20. It was also assessed that the programme represents good value for money and that the project successfully integrates gender and equality issues into delivery. All UK programmes are provided in adherence with the UK Government's Overseas Security and Justice Assistance guidance. We will continue to support police reform in Nigeria, working with the Nigerian Government and international and civil society partners to improve its transparency and accountability, in line with its human rights obligations.