The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, has reiterated the EU’s unwavering support for Nigeria’s democratic development and highlighted its pivotal role in the country’s democratic future.
Mignot made the remarks at the first meeting of the EU-SDGN Programme Steering Committee for 2025 in Abuja, a forum that provides strategic oversight and coordination for the EU’s democratic governance efforts in Nigeria.
“The EU will continue to be a partner for Nigeria on the key issues that will sustain its path towards a peaceful and prosperous society, anchored in a robust democracy and the full enjoyment of fundamental rights by all citizens,” Mignot affirmed.
The EU-SDGN programme remains a central component of the EU’s support for Nigeria, particularly in consolidating democratic institutions and strengthening the electoral process. Following the 2023 general elections, a significant moment in Nigeria’s political trajectory, the programme has intensified efforts to deliver targeted, high-impact interventions.
Mignot emphasised the importance of defending democracy amid rising global challenges, noting that democratic values were under pressure across Europe and Africa. He called for renewed commitment to strengthening democratic norms through collaborative and strategic action.
He also welcomed the conclusion of the EU-SDGN programme’s annual retreat, describing it as a valuable platform for reassessing priorities and improving delivery. The retreat, which brought together implementing partners and stakeholders, led to key resolutions adopted by the Steering Committee.
At the meeting, the committee received and approved the programme’s monitoring and evaluation report, presented by Denis Mutabazi, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at DAI, as well as the 2025 work plan, presented by Laolu Olawumi, EU Programme Manager on Democracy, Rule of Law, and Gender.
The mid-term report set the tone for a renewed approach in the second half of the programme. One of the major resolutions was the decision to phase out large, classroom-style trainings, which were found to have limited measurable impact.
The programme will now prioritise remote learning and smaller, targeted interventions that are more responsive to local contexts and easier to track for results, particularly in engagements with political parties. These changes aim to improve the programme’s effectiveness and ensure that resources produce tangible outcomes.
A key part of this strategic shift is a stronger emphasis on robust needs assessments. Rather than starting with predefined activities, future programming will begin with clearly articulated outcomes and work backwards to identify the most strategic interventions.
This new approach will be particularly significant in work with political parties. Recognising the wide variations in structure, capacity, and political will among parties, future engagements will adopt more technical and context-specific strategies, moving away from one-size-fits-all models.
Ambassador Mignot welcomed the strategic direction outlined in the mid-term report, stressing that in today’s global environment, efficiency alone is not enough.
“There is very tight scrutiny in Europe on all international programmes,” he said. “We must now look not only at efficiency but at effectiveness. If political parties are unwilling to make progress on women’s participation, then continuing to support them in that area makes little sense.”
He underscored the importance of women’s political participation, describing it as transformative. He called for concrete commitments from political parties, including measurable targets for the inclusion of women in leadership structures beyond the 2027 elections. He also highlighted the need to support female aspirants through tailored capacity-building initiatives.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who co-chairs the Steering Committee, commended the EU’s continued support for Nigeria’s democratic journey and welcomed the programme’s evolving strategic focus.
He reported that INEC had made significant progress in implementing the EU Election Observation Mission’s recommendations following the 2023 elections. Of the 23 recommendations, eight were directed at INEC, and implementation efforts are already well underway.
“The Commission will continue to work with the EU, our partners, and stakeholders, as we have always done, whether in the best of times or the most challenging periods of our democracy,” he said.
The INEC Chairman also stressed the need for improved planning ahead of the next election cycle. He called for better monitoring of peace accords facilitated by the National Peace Committee. Previously signed just days before elections, these accords allowed little time for enforcement. A joint decision has now been taken to move the signing earlier to allow for proper monitoring of compliance, particularly during campaigns.
Looking ahead, Professor Yakubu urged that all component activities align with INEC’s electoral calendar. He noted that the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections will take place in February 2026, with party primaries beginning in July 2025. In addition, the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections are scheduled for mid-2026, with primaries expected as early as November 2025.
He also noted that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise would resume this year. The statutory deadline requires it to be suspended 90 days before any scheduled election. These developments, he said, necessitate broader planning horizons and a more dynamic alignment of interventions with Nigeria’s evolving electoral calendar.
A second Steering Committee meeting is expected to take place before Professor Yakubu completes his tenure as INEC Chairman. Preparations are also underway for the arrival of the EU Election Observation Mission, expected in Nigeria by September.
