EU to Boost Aid

The EU recently announced that it will be increasing the amount of aid it sends to Nigeria from 450 million to 580 million euros. a senior European official said that the increase of cash is meant to support Nigeria's security forces as they combat armed groups, such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), that are attempting to disrupt oil trade and industry. According to reports, the money will, for the first time, fund the training of Nigerian police and security forces opperating within Nigeria and abroad in places like Somalia as part of peacekeeping missions. The situation may present complications, however, as European citizens complain of sending money necessary for their own countries' recovery from the worldwide economic recession to a country notorious for rampant corruption and as armed groups like MEND threaten to attack the business interests of any country that interferes with the group's opperation.

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This article demonstrates the interconnectedness of the modern political and economic world. Europe is willing to send millions of euros to an incredibly corrupt country that may not be able to account for how the money is used. European politicians must see something gain economically by making this move, and it is safe to assume that it has to do with oil. Whether this gamble pays off will become apparent in the coming years.

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