The European Union (E.U.) is strengthening its partnership with Nigeria by providing the country with 1.3 billion dollars to help the country diversify its economy and decrease its reliance on oil. The funding will be provided until 2027 under the E.U.’s “Green Deal” initiative, which encourages environmental protection and movement away from reliance on fossil fuels. The funding will go toward supporting agriculture, climate, and digital projects, all aimed at decreasing Nigeria’s reliance on oil, and increasing access to renewable energy, according to Bloomberg. According to Reuters, the E.U. said “the European Investment Bank (E.I.B.) sovereign lending will support the agri-food sector access to markets by financing rural roads, as well as climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.” The E.U. is working on this project together with its member states, the E.I.B. and other E.U. Development Finance institutions.

Samuela Isopi, the E.U. Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, said the funds would help the country “achieve low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient development, creating jobs for youth and economic growth,” according to Bloomberg. Inga Stefanowicz, part of the E.U. delegation to Nigeria, said the project would create new job opportunities in Nigeria as well as increasing skills and agriculture exports, according to The Guardian Nigeria. The E.U. stated that this pledge is an effort to “continue to pursue with increased vigour its long-standing friendship and bilateral engagement with Nigeria, with a view to delivering better and more results in their partnership,” according to a press release.

It is incredibly important for wealthier countries to help others shift toward environmentally sustainable alternatives, rather than pushing them to do so without providing any assistance. With many countries trying to move away from consuming oil, it is important that those countries whose main source of income is oil are supported to transition. Otherwise, the conversion from non-renewable to renewable energy sources would devastate these countries’ economies, blighting their citizens’ lives in order to restore the environment.

At the same time, this is reminiscent of other moments when developed countries have foisted their responsibilities for the planet onto others, insisting that other countries must do their part while they fail to do theirs. According to Ripples Nigeria, various countries in Europe were among the top buyers of Nigerian oil; for example, the Netherlands, which is also a member of the E.U.’s project in Nigeria. Additionally, countries in the E.U. continue to consume oil at the same, if not higher, rates as major producers according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, demonstrating that the onus cannot only be on the producers to decrease how much oil is in circulation; consumers must also decrease the demand for it.

The E.U. is Nigeria’s biggest and most important trading partner, according to the E.U.’s press release, but this may not be to the advantage of the Nigerian economy. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari wrote an opinion piece in the Daily Trust, the country’s most widely read newspaper, highlighting the need for a new relationship between the E.U. and Africa. He described previous deals as “increasingly unsustainable” and “one-sided,” benefiting the E.U. rather than the African countries involved. This plan, while potentially creating jobs in Nigeria, continues to follow European plans rather than what Nigerians themselves want, and encourages the country to remain in the business of agricultural exports rather than developing into other sectors.

Countries with the means to do so should follow the E.U.’s example and provide funds and support to others on their path toward environmental sustainability, but they must ensure they do so on the terms of whichever country is making the adjustments. Any country asking others to make changes for the sake of the environment must also demonstrate that they are willing to make the same efforts. Overall, the E.U.’s new pledge is a step in the right direction, but any such agreement must be bilateral and mutually beneficial to truly prosper.