If you thought energy privatisation was bad for UK consumers, take a look at Nigeria. The result has been up to 45% higher prices, regular blackouts, workers made redundant and the companies involved being bailed out by the central bank. The process is part of a £100 million project being run by consultants Adam Smith International (ASI). Around half this money was put up by the UK government in the form of “aid”.

A recent report from Global Justice Now, The Privatisation of UK Aid, reveals that in 2014 alone the Department for International Development (DfID) spent £90 million through ASI. This is more than the entire amount spent on human rights and women’s equality organisations, and the latest slice of the £450 million of aid-funded contracts awarded to ASI since 2011. It’s a lucrative business – ASI directors are on six-figure salaries and made £14 million in after-tax profits in 2014. Continue reading →