The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the World Bank, has commenced a $500 million Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity–Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme designed to strengthen financial and human resource management in the nation’s education and healthcare sectors.
In a statement signed by the programme’s Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, the National Coordinator, Assad Hassan, confirmed the commencement while briefing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Deborah Odoh, in Abuja.
The statement reads partly: “In terms of programme financing and scope, it’s a World Bank-assisted credit of $500 million, which is split into two components. One is the Programme for Results while the second is Investment Project Financing.
“$480 million is earmarked to incentivise the States to achieve the Disbursement Linked Results in the two sectors, while the $20 million Investment Project Financing component has three key areas for implementation.
“One is programme coordination, the second is verification of results at the state level as well as monitoring and evaluation and the third is technical assistance for implementing agencies i.e. the states, UBEC, Ministerial Oversight Committee of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
“For HOPE-Governance, our primary objective is to see how we improve financial and human resource management in these two sectors by focusing on three key areas: the first is an increase in funding for the two sectors.
“Then the second key area is enhanced transparency and accountability in the budget for both sectors, the audit report, and the citizens’ format budget. Basically it is about public financial management in the two sectors. Then the third and final area, we want to see improved recruitment and retention of teachers as well as primary health workers,” Hassan added.
The programme, which covers all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is structured into two windows: the Programme-for-Results component, which rewards states for achieving verifiable targets, and an Investment Project Financing component supporting programme coordination, independent verification, monitoring and evaluation, and technical assistance.
Participating states will be assessed based on six Disbursement-Linked Indicators, which will be independently verified before funds are disbursed.
Permanent Secretary Deborah Odoh commended the HOPE-GOV team for the progress made within a short implementation period, pledging the ministry’s full support to ensure the programme meets its objectives.
