Irwin Grayson Associates
Review & evaluation

Goal Oriented Local Development Fund

The Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme (EoPSD) was a development programme based on a bilateral agreement between the Nigerian and German Federal Governments. It wass implemented by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ, now known as GIZ). The programme's objective was to support sustainable economic development and thus increase income and create employment through private sector initiatives. The ultimate beneficiaries of the EoPSD were small, micro and medium-size entrepreneurs (SME) in two states: Niger and Nasarawa. Interventions were intended to address the needs of SMEs though it does not work directly with entrepreneurs.

Irwin Grayson Associates was commissioned by GIZ to consider whether, and if so how, to launch the 'GOLD' fund to stimulate the creation of new business models that might otherwise not be pursued or only receive marginal attention from the private and public sector. It was anticipated that the fund would finance projects involving capacity building, infrastructure, machinery and equipment procurement, acquisition of technical consulting services, as well as sustainable private sector development measures. The development of ideas and the design of the fund were intended to promote public private partnerships and private sector development as part of local economic development at level of Local Government Authorities.