UBEC Unveils $552m World Bank Programme Targeting 29 Million Nigerian Children, 500,000 Teachers

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has unveiled a $552.18 million World Bank-supported education programme targeting 29 million Nigerian children and 500,000 teachers, warning state governments that inadequate budgetary provisions could undermine its implementation.

The Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity in Education (HOPE-EDU) programme also aims to cover 65,000 public schools, support 10,000 non-formal learning centres and facilitate the construction of 13,000 classrooms across the country.

UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, issued the warning on Tuesday in Abuja during a two-day meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) focused on preparing states for the programme’s implementation.

Garba disclosed that HOPE-EDU became effective on February 27, 2026, and had entered its implementation phase. She urged SUBEB chairmen to engage their respective state governments to ensure that relevant activities and funding requirements were incorporated into the 2027 budgets.

She explained that several programme disbursements would depend on states meeting specific performance indicators, including making adequate budgetary allocations. States that fail to satisfy the requirements risk losing access to the corresponding funds.

“A lot of the deliverables for Year 1 will require provisions in the states’ 2027 budget,” Garba said, urging SUBEB chairmen to present implementation reports to their state executives and secure the necessary commitments.

The programme operates through a results-based financing model, linking disbursements to agreed targets and verified performance. Of the funding outlined by UBEC, $262.239 million is allocated to improving basic education quality, $123.9 million to expanding access, and $133.611 million to strengthening key education systems.

Under the quality component, the programme will focus on improving teaching standards, providing essential learning materials and raising pupils’ performance. It will also support the Structured Pedagogy Programme, designed to strengthen literacy and numeracy instruction in primary schools.

Garba said participation requirements differ across the programme’s three result areas. The quality component is open to 33 states, with potential expansion to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to participation in HOPE-GOV operations. The access component targets 15 states with the highest populations of out-of-school children that meet other eligibility conditions, while the systems-strengthening component is open to all states and the FCT.

She stressed that successful implementation would require coordination among state ministries of education, SUBEBs, Local Education Authorities, schools and School-Based Management Committees. The initiative is intended to improve learning outcomes, reduce inequalities and expand access to quality basic education, particularly for children in rural and marginalised communities.

Earlier, HOPE-EDU Programme Manager, Olumayowa Aleshin, presented an overview of the initiative’s funding arrangements, implementation targets and milestones. Garba also commended the programme team, the Federal Ministry of Education, the World Bank and other technical partners for their support.

With millions of children and hundreds of thousands of teachers included in its targets, HOPE-EDU represents a major investment in Nigeria’s basic education sector. However, UBEC’s warning underscores that achieving the programme’s objectives will depend heavily on states meeting funding conditions and translating commitments into classrooms, better teaching and measurable improvements in learning.