Brussels, 03/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has apporoved €478 million in funding for Nigeria to reinforce stability and security in the Niger Delta region, offer young people better prospects and improve governance. The funds, to be allocated under the 2011 annual action programme for Nigeria, which has an envelope of €200 million under the European Development Fund (10th EDF), will fund eight projects, the Commission announced on Friday 3 February. Here is how the funds will be broken down: Niger Delta Support Programme (200 million euros) to fund, amongst other things, activities for youth employment in road maintenance, technical training, improving public administration to ensure the access of the populations to basic services; support for reforms of state and local governance (€60 million); - support to the fight against corruption (€35 million); support for the justice sector (€27 million); - support for the election rounds 2011-2015 (€20 million); - support for reforms of federal governance (€20 million); - fight against drugs and organised crime (€36 million); - reform programme for the provision of water and sanitary installations (€80 million). Readers may recall that the Niger Delta Support Programme aims to attenuate conflict in the region by tackling the main causes of the trouble and violence, which include poor governance, youth unemployment and shortfalls in the provision of basic services. (AN/transl.fl)