This project is designed to support the 2007 Elections in Nigeria. It will establish a Basket Fund as a channel for funding and providing technical assistance to the electoral process in Nigeria. Under the overarching framework of the Basket Fund, the project will develop and implement a two-pronged strategy. First, it will help strengthen the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) technical and operational capacity to prepare and conduct electoral processes. In particular the project will provide technical assistance as requested by INEC. Second, the project will enhance civil society’s contribution to the electoral process to maximize public confidence in the outcome. Through specific operative mechanisms, citizen participation in the elections will be promoted and civil society engagement in electoral observation will be supported. The objective of the Project is to achieve transparent and credible elections that are domestically and internationally recognised.