The Nigerian government has initiated the **$500 million** Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity–Governance (HOPE-GOV) Program, supported by the World Bank. This initiative aims to enhance financial and human resource management in the sectors of basic education and primary healthcare across the country. The announcement was made by the National Coordinator of the HOPE-GOV Program, **Dr. Assad Hassan**, during a briefing in Abuja with **Dr. Deborah O. N. Odoh**, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
According to a statement from Communication Officer **John Mutah**, the program consists of two primary components: a Program for Results and Investment Project Financing. Of the total funding, **$480 million** is allocated to incentivize states to meet specific Disbursement Linked Results in both education and healthcare sectors. The remaining **$20 million** is designated for three key areas: program coordination, verification of results at the state level, and technical assistance for implementing agencies.
Dr. Hassan emphasized that the program’s focus includes increasing financial resources for both sectors, enhancing transparency and accountability in budgeting, and supporting the recruitment of teachers and healthcare workers to address existing manpower shortages. He stated, “For HOPE-Governance, our primary objective is to see how we improve financial and human resource management in these two sectors.”
Hassan outlined the three principal areas of focus: increasing funding, enhancing budget transparency, and improving the recruitment and retention of educators and healthcare personnel. To achieve these goals, he noted collaboration with the **Universal Basic Education Commission** (UBEC) and the Ministerial Oversight Committee for the **Basic Health Care Provision Fund**.
The program includes six Disbursement Linked Indicators that will be monitored by the HOPE-GOV Program and evaluated by Independent Verification Agents before funds are disbursed to the states. Dr. Hassan provided historical context for the program’s inception, revealing that the World Bank approved the HOPE-GOV Program on **September 26, 2024**, following successful negotiations in August 2024. The Federal Executive Council granted approval in **February 2025**, and the financing agreement was countersigned by the federal government in **April 2025**, with the program becoming effective in **September 2025**.
All **36 states** and the Federal Capital Territory have shown interest in participating in the program, leading to the distribution of Subsidiary Agreements for signing. Under the Program for Results, state governments are expected to invest in the Disbursement Linked Indicators to receive incentives for positive outcomes. Dr. Hassan explained, “The way the program is designed, you achieve something this year and you get incentivized so that you put that money back to work on the second year results.”
The program plans to engage interim verification agents in the near future to assess the results achieved by state governments in the first year. In her remarks, Dr. Deborah O. N. Odoh expressed her commitment to supporting the program’s objectives and praised the achievements made within its early stages of implementation.
