By Ayomide Otitoju
The World Bank has approved $1.08 billion in concessional financing to support education, nutrition, and economic resilience in Nigeria. The approved projects include $500 million in additional financing for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme, $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0) initiative, and $500 million for the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme.
A statement published on the bank’s website on Wednesday highlighted that the funding aims to enhance education quality, strengthen household and community resilience, and improve nutrition services for vulnerable populations.
The NG-CARES Programme, initially launched to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has already benefited over 15 million Nigerians. The new financing will expand access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households. The programme has evolved into a comprehensive shock-responsive platform providing social transfers, labour-intensive public works, livelihood grants, and small business support. The additional funding will help address economic challenges stemming from the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange rate unification.
The ANRIN 2.0 programme is designed to improve the availability and use of nutrition services, particularly for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under five. It aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and the Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition, with a focus on preventive and curative nutrition interventions, improved feeding practices, and increased access to micronutrient-rich foods. The first phase of the programme, implemented between 2018 and 2024, delivered nutrition services to over 13 million children under five.
Speaking on the initiative, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, emphasized the importance of investing in human capital to unlock Nigeria’s potential.
“These new programmes will help accelerate education quality and support vulnerable citizens. The HOPE-EDU programme will enable better education outcomes by implementing bold reforms and making the right investments to equip the fast-growing young population with foundational skills necessary for rapid and inclusive economic growth,” Diop said.
He added that the ANRIN initiative would improve access to micronutrient-rich foods and primary healthcare nutrition services, while the NG-CARES programme would transition Nigeria from pandemic response efforts to long-term economic resilience.
The HOPE-EDU initiative, part of a broader series of educational reforms, aims to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, expand access to basic education, and enhance education systems across participating states. The project is expected to directly benefit 29 million public primary school pupils, 500,000 teachers, and over 65,000 public primary schools. It also seeks to address school overcrowding and improve the decentralised allocation of education funding. Additionally, the Global Partnership for Education Fund will provide $52.18 million in supplementary funding for the HOPE-EDU programme.
