The Nigerian Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has officially commenced the $500 million Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity–Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme, aimed at enhancing governance, financial management, and human resource systems in basic education and primary healthcare across the country.
The National Coordinator of HOPE-GOV, Assad Hassan, confirmed the programme’s rollout on Tuesday, briefing Deborah Odoh, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, where the programme is domiciled.
Addressing Governance Gaps
According to Hassan, the intervention is designed to tackle long-standing governance challenges at the sub-national level, particularly in states struggling with underfunded and poorly equipped primary healthcare centres and high numbers of out-of-school children.
“Our objective is to improve financial and human resource management in these two sectors by focusing on three areas: increasing funding, enhancing transparency and accountability in budgeting and audits, and improving recruitment and retention of teachers and healthcare workers,” Hassan said.
Programme Structure and Funding
HOPE-GOV is structured into two components:
• Programme-for-Results (PforR): $480 million, used to incentivise states to achieve pre-defined Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs) in education and healthcare. States must invest upfront to meet the indicators before receiving performance-based incentives.
• Investment Project Financing (IPF): $20 million, covering programme coordination, independent verification of results, monitoring and evaluation, and technical assistance.
Hassan listed the implementing institutions as state governments, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Ministerial Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Focus Areas
The programme will prioritize:
1. Increased financing for basic education and primary healthcare.
2. Improved transparency and accountability in budget preparation, audits, and citizen engagement.
3. Enhanced recruitment and retention of teachers and primary healthcare personnel.
Participating states will be assessed on six Disbursement-Linked Indicators, independently verified before the release of incentives. Hassan noted that all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory have expressed interest, with subsidiary agreements already dispatched for execution.
Timeline and Implementation
The World Bank approved HOPE-GOV on September 26, 2024, following a financing agreement negotiated in August 2024. The Federal Executive Council approved the programme in February 2025, and the federal government countersigned it in April 2025. The programme became effective in September 2025.
“The programme is designed to reward results annually, allowing states to reinvest incentives into the following year’s initiatives,” Hassan explained, adding that Interim Verification Agents will soon begin validating states’ first-year performance.
Government Support
Permanent Secretary Deborah Odoh pledged full support from the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to ensure the programme achieves its objectives. She commended the HOPE-GOV team for early progress, describing the initiative as critical to improving service delivery outcomes in education and healthcare.
The programme aims to address Nigeria’s persistent underperformance in human capital outcomes, with the country consistently ranking low on global indicators such as the World Bank Human Capital Index.
This partnership underscores the federal government’s commitment to strengthening governance, boosting investment in human capital, and improving service delivery in sectors critical to national development.
Source: Africa Publicity
