There have been notable gains in Nigeria’s political stability and basic freedoms since the return to democratic rule in 1999. However, Nigeria faces deep-rooted historical and structural constraints that need to be recognized, especially in planning coherent development and democracy assistance. The Democratic Governance for Development (DGD) project is a joint donor funded project managed by UNDP in support of deepening democracy in Nigeria. The project is funded with contributions from the European Commission (EC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).