Australian High Commission

Nigeria

Telephone: +234 (0) 9 461 2780 Office Mobile: +234 (0) 803 307 3519 Fax: +234 9 461 2782 Address: 5th Floor, Oakland Centre, 48 Aguiyi Ironsi St, Maitama, Abuja

Direct aid program in Nigeria

The Australian High Commission operates a flexible, small grants scheme to help fund development projects in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and some other West African countries.

Under the scheme, grants are available for individuals, community groups and non-governmental organizations engaged in development activities on a non-profit basis.

It is aimed at supporting small-scale projects and activities that are participatory in nature and have involved beneficiaries in their identification, design and management.

Special attention may be given to gender issues, children and other disadvantaged groups. Eligible activities should normally be implemented over a relatively short period of time and not more than one year.

Examples of areas where grants may be given are: community health, education, small-scale infrastructure, rural development and environment. In certain cases, consideration may be given to contributions to disaster relief operations, activities of cultural significance and sporting equipment.

As a general rule, the following activities and inputs may not be funded: conferences in-country; overseas study tours; academic training in Australia; items of a recurrent nature, such as staff salaries, office rental and utility costs, spare parts, supplies, routine maintenance and repairs; and payment of consultants and advisors, where they constitute a major cost component.

Proposed activities should be clearly defined with specific outputs. Information on project criteria and how to apply for grants is available in the Application for Direct Aid for Small Projects form (Word -136KB), which may be downloaded or obtained from the High Commission.

Where the proposed activity has been submitted to other possible funding sources, or is being implemented in conjunction with activities funded through other sources, this must be clearly stated in the application.

This grants scheme is part of the Direct Aid Program (DAP), funded by the Australian Government through AusAid and managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The single objective for the Program is to advance Australia’s national interests by assisting developing countries to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development.