Nigeria is an economic powerhouse and the most populous nation on the African continent. Its current transition to democracy represents an important oppotunity for contributing to both national and regional stability. MacArthur is committed to helping strengthen Nigeria's intellectual, scientific, and civil society communities as a means of helping to facilitate the consolidation of democracy and encouraging economic development. To do this, MacArthur makes grants to strengthen the country's universities, improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and young people, and to advance human rights. The Foundation has been making grants in Nigeria since 1989 and opened an office in Abuja in 1994. For more information please visit the Foundation's Nigeria website.
A MacArthur-supported initiative to help secure and maintain much-needed science equipment at universities in Nigeria is expanding with support from the Nigerian government. The Government will contribute millions of dollars through its Education Trust Fund to the PRISM Consortium, a special initiative of MacArthur grantee the International Foundation for Science to help universities in developing countries procure, install, service, and maintain scientific equipment. The Consortium was launched in 2008 with four MacArthur-supported universities in Nigeria — the University of Ibadan, the University of Port Harcourt, Ahmadu Bello University, and Bayero University Kano. It is expanding to include additional public universities. The Government is contributing $235 million to six federal universities; a portion of the funds will support Consortium efforts. Through its links with suppliers and volume purchasing, the Consortium will provide the universities with a 40 percent discount on science equipment and mechanisms for training and long-term equipment maintenance.
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