Success Nwankwo
The World Bank has announced the approval of three major projects totalling $1.57 billion to support Nigeria’s efforts in strengthening human capital development.
In a statement released on Monday, the approval was affirmed particularly to provide better health outcomes for women, children, and adolescents. This funding is also aimed at building resilience to climate-related challenges, such as floods and droughts, by improving dam safety and irrigation systems.
According to the statement, the initiatives will focus on two key areas—health and education—under the HOPE-GOV and HOPE-PHC programs.
The statement noted that these programs are designed to improve service delivery in the basic education and primary healthcare sectors, which are seen as critical to advancing Nigeria’s human capital.
The “HOPE-GOV Programme” will help Nigeria tackle underlying governance issues within the government’s systems and procedures, particularly in the health and education sectors. By addressing these governance weaknesses, the program is expected to create a more effective framework for delivering essential services to the population.
In addition, the SPIN project (Safety, Protection, and Irrigation for Nigeria) will enhance the safety and management of dams while improving water resources for hydropower and irrigation in selected areas across the country. This is expected to mitigate the impact of climate change by improving Nigeria’s capacity to manage floods and droughts more effectively.
The combined efforts of these programs will not only focus on immediate health and education needs but also lay the groundwork for long-term development by improving governance, infrastructure, and resilience against climate change.
Meanwhile, the Debt Management Office (DMO) says Nigeria’s total public debts is over N100 trillion.