The Federal Government’s World Bank–assisted Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme has stepped up efforts to strengthen governance in Nigeria’s basic education and primary healthcare sectors, engaging the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) as a key partner in driving reforms across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
During an advocacy visit to the NGF secretariat in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the HOPE-GOV Programme, Dr. Assad Hassan, said the Forum remains a crucial platform for deepening inter-governmental coordination and ensuring the programme achieves its objectives nationwide.
He explained that the visit was aimed at formally briefing the NGF secretariat, socialising the HOPE-GOV governance agenda, and seeking strategic support and collaboration to guarantee effective implementation in all states and the FCT.
Dr. Hassan commended the NGF for its leadership in championing initiatives that promote better governance, improved service delivery, and stronger outcomes in the education and primary healthcare sectors. He noted that the HOPE-GOV Programme is designed to ensure federal and state funds are better utilised at the facility level, while strengthening transparency and monitoring of inter-governmental transfers and public expenditure.
According to him, the initiative will also support the development and execution of coordinated annual service delivery plans, while boosting accountability in spending on health and basic education at all levels of government. A major component of the reform, he added, focuses on human resources, with incentives for states to recruit, retain, and equitably deploy teachers and priority healthcare workers.
“We are looking at improvements in human resources in the two sectors — employment, retention, and equitable posting of workers,” he said.
The $500 million Performance Incentive Programme under HOPE-GOV is structured around three key result areas: increasing the availability and effectiveness of financing for basic education and primary healthcare; enhancing transparency and accountability in sector financing; and improving recruitment, deployment, and performance management of teachers and primary healthcare workers by federal, state, and local governments.
Also speaking, the World Bank Task Team Lead for HOPE-GOV, Mr. Ikechukwu Nweje, described the programme as a unique opportunity to build the capacity of civil servants across states, ensuring reforms are sustained and institutionalised in the two critical sectors.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NGF, Dr. Abdulateef Shittu, expressed confidence that the programme signals a new phase in states’ reform journeys — one that moves beyond merely publishing data to actively using it to improve outcomes.
He said the Forum’s role would be to promote coordination, share practical solutions among states, and help them transition from compliance-based reforms to performance-driven governance, where fiscal transparency leads to visible improvements in schools and primary healthcare facilities.
“As we move into full implementation, success will depend on early commitment and readiness at the state level,” Shittu noted, adding that the NGF looks forward to working closely with the Federal Government, states, the World Bank, and other stakeholders to ensure the programme delivers meaningful results for Nigerians.