The Federal Government and the World Bank have begun implementing a $500 million Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity–Governance (HOPE-GOV) programme to strengthen financial and human resource management in basic education and primary healthcare nationwide.
The HOPE-GOV National Coordinator, Assad Hassan, confirmed the programme’s launch on Tuesday in Abuja during a briefing with the Budget Ministry Permanent Secretary, Deborah Odoh.
HOPE-GOV is a results-based programme that ties funding to measurable improvements in education and health service delivery, especially at the state level.
What they are saying
Hassan said the World Bank–assisted facility is structured into two components: a Programme-for-Results (PforR) window and an Investment Project Financing (IPF) component.
He said $480 million will incentivise states to meet disbursement-linked targets in education and primary healthcare, while $20 million will fund coordination, monitoring, verification and technical support.
“In terms of programme financing and scope, it’s a World Bank-assisted credit of $500 million, which is split into two components. One is the Programme for Results, while the second is Investment Project Financing. $480 million is earmarked to incentivise the States to achieve the Disbursement Linked Results in the two sectors, while the $20 million Investment Project Financing component has three key areas for implementation,” he said.
He added that implementing institutions include state governments, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Ministerial Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Why it matters
Nigeria continues to face deep human capital challenges, with one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally and primary healthcare centres in many states remaining understaffed, underfunded and poorly equipped.
These challenges, according to programme officials, have been worsened by weak public financial management systems at the sub-national level, including poor budgeting, delayed audits and weak reporting structures.
Despite existing statutory funding mechanisms such as the Universal Basic Education Fund and the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, many states have struggled to access available resources due to counterpart funding gaps and weak planning processes.
Hassan said the programme targets higher funding for education and primary healthcare, stronger budget transparency, and better recruitment and retention of frontline workers.
Under the Programme-for-Results component, participating states are required to invest upfront in meeting agreed indicators before receiving performance-based incentives, creating a cycle of reform and reinvestment.
Providing further context, Hassan said the World Bank approved the HOPE-GOV Programme on September 26, 2024, following the negotiation of the financing agreement in August 2024.
The Federal Executive Council approved the agreement in February 2025, it was countersigned in April 2025, and declared effective in September 2025.
What you should know
In February, the World Bank pledged $1.2 billion for investment in girls’ education in 18 Nigerian states, aiming to improve secondary education and empower adolescent girls.
The states include: Borno, Ekiti, Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Katsina, Kano, Adamawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Bauchi, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Gombe, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
