24,000 Nigerians to Benefit from $65M World Bank Funding

The Federal Government of Nigeria disclosed that 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million funding phase from the World Bank, aimed at supporting the Sustainable Procurement, Environment and Social Standards (SPESS) project. Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), announced this plan during a contract signing event in Abuja.

The new funding builds on the success of an earlier $80 million SPESS project initiated in 2021, designed to enhance Nigeria's capacity in procurement, environmental management, and social standards across public and private institutions. The project will address critical skill shortages in the government sector.

Ribadu noted that the World Bank is coordinating the establishment of six centers of excellence across Nigeria's geopolitical zones to provide sustainable capacity building. The project aims to train 2,700 public and private sector officials and expand Nigeria's electronic procurement system.

Additionally, the initiative targets at least 60 PhD graduates and includes plans for student exchange programs.