The World Bank has approved three financing operations totaling $1.08 billion to support Nigeria’s efforts in improving education quality, nutrition, and economic resilience. The concessional loans are aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s social infrastructure and helping vulnerable populations.
According to a statement released on the bank’s website on Wednesday, the funding will focus on enhancing the quality of education, building resilience in communities, and improving nutrition for underserved groups across the country.
The three approved initiatives include $500 million for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme (NG-CARES), $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0) programme, and another $500 million for the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) initiative.
The NG-CARES Programme, originally created to address the economic challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, has since expanded its reach. It now provides support to vulnerable households through social transfers, public works, livelihood grants, and small business support, with over 15 million beneficiaries so far. This new financing will strengthen the programme, especially as Nigeria faces new economic hurdles, including the impact of the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange rate adjustments.
The ANRIN 2.0 programme focuses on improving maternal and child nutrition, providing quality nutrition services to pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under five. Building on the success of its predecessor, which reached over 13 million children between 2018 and 2024, the program aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and aims to combat food insecurity and malnutrition.
The HOPE-EDU initiative will target the improvement of foundational literacy and numeracy in primary education. It will benefit 29 million public primary school pupils, 500,000 teachers, and over 65,000 schools. The initiative will also address overcrowding in schools and ensure better allocation of educational resources. In addition to the funding from the World Bank, $52.18 million from the Global Partnership for Education Fund will contribute to the project’s success.
Dr. Ndiamé Diop, World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, emphasized the importance of investing in human capital, saying, “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 equipping Nigeria’s growing young population with essential skills for sustainable economic growth.”
The initiatives represent significant strides toward improving Nigeria’s social services and fostering long-term economic stability, aiming to build resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.
