The World Bank has announced the approval of three significant financing operations totaling $1.08 billion for Nigeria. These funds, provided as concessional loans, are part of a targeted effort to enhance human capital development in the country by focusing on education quality, nutrition improvements, and economic resilience, especially for vulnerable and underserved populations.

In a statement published on its official website, the World Bank emphasized that the newly approved programs are designed to improve access to basic services, equip the younger generation with foundational skills, support household resilience, and address long-term nutritional deficiencies that contribute to widespread health challenges in Nigeria.

Breakdown of the Three New Financing Operations

According to the statement, the $1.08 billion in concessional financing will be spread across three core programs:

• $500 million in additional financing for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme;

• $80 million for the second phase of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0) initiative;

• $500 million for a comprehensive education reform initiative known as the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU).

These programs are carefully aligned with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and represent a continuation of the government’s broader goals to alleviate poverty, improve public health, and increase access to education.

NG-CARES: Strengthening Resilience Through Livelihood Support

The NG-CARES program, which initially launched in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, has now evolved into a more permanent, shock-responsive platform. It supports a wide range of multisectoral interventions aimed at improving livelihoods and building household resilience.

So far, NG-CARES has reached more than 15 million Nigerians, providing support through a combination of social transfers, labour-intensive public works, livelihood grants, and microenterprise assistance for small businesses. The newly approved $500 million will enable the program to expand its operations even further—especially important as Nigeria continues to face economic turbulence triggered by the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification policy reforms.

The funding will also allow for enhanced outreach to communities that remain vulnerable to inflation shocks, job losses, and income disruptions, thereby helping to stabilize local economies and reduce poverty.

ANRIN 2.0: Scaling Up Nutrition Interventions for Women and Children

The second major initiative under the World Bank’s latest funding package is ANRIN 2.0, which will receive $80 million to improve nutritional outcomes for at-risk groups. This includes pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under the age of five—groups that have been disproportionately affected by food insecurity and poor healthcare access.

Building on the foundation laid by the original ANRIN program, which successfully delivered nutrition services to more than 13 million children between 2018 and 2024, ANRIN 2.0 seeks to expand access to micronutrient-rich foods, promote improved feeding practices, and strengthen primary healthcare-level delivery of nutrition services.

The initiative is structured around both preventive and curative strategies and is closely aligned with Nigeria’s Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition. By combining health system improvements with community engagement, the project aims to tackle the root causes of malnutrition and improve maternal and child health outcomes in targeted regions.

HOPE-EDU: Investing in the Foundation of Nigeria’s Education System

The most sizable portion of the approved financing—another $500 million—has been allocated to the HOPE-EDU initiative, a transformative project designed to upgrade Nigeria’s basic education system. The program aims to improve foundational literacy and numeracy, increase access to quality education, and reform educational governance across all participating states.

The program is expected to directly benefit:

• 29 million public primary school pupils;

• 500,000 teachers; and

• More than 65,000 public primary schools.

It will also tackle pressing challenges such as overcrowded classrooms, outdated teaching methodologies, and inequitable allocation of funding to public schools. The initiative includes a commitment to decentralizing education budgets and strengthening state-level accountability structures to ensure more efficient delivery of resources.

In addition to the World Bank’s contribution, the Global Partnership for Education Fund will provide a supplementary $52.18 million to bolster HOPE-EDU’s impact and support its long-term sustainability.

World Bank: Human Capital Investments Critical to Nigeria’s Future

Speaking on the significance of the new funding approvals, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s human capital development agenda.

He noted that investing in sectors such as education, nutrition, and economic resilience offers Nigeria its best opportunity to unlock the immense potential of its growing young population.

“These new programs will help accelerate education quality and support vulnerable citizens,” Diop explained. “The HOPE-EDU program will enable better education outcomes by implementing bold reforms and making the right investments to equip the fast-growing young population with foundational skills necessary for rapid and inclusive economic growth.”

He also highlighted that the ANRIN 2.0 program will directly enhance the delivery of nutrition services by improving access to vital foods and health support at the primary healthcare level. On the NG-CARES program, Diop stated that the fresh injection of funds would enable Nigeria to transition “from pandemic response to long-term resilience,” especially during a period of heightened economic strain.

Long-Term Impact and Forward Outlook

The cumulative effect of these three programs is expected to be far-reaching, not only in terms of human development outcomes but also in strengthening Nigeria’s economic stability. By focusing on fundamental areas such as childhood education, maternal health, and livelihood support, the projects aim to create a more inclusive foundation for long-term national growth.

Moreover, the interventions represent a strategic shift toward resilience-building, rather than short-term relief—an approach that positions Nigeria to better withstand future economic shocks and achieve sustainable development.

Conclusion: A Major Step Toward Inclusive National Progress

The World Bank’s latest financial commitment to Nigeria marks a significant step in supporting the country’s efforts to improve quality of life, reduce inequality, and build institutional capacity. As these programs begin to roll out, close monitoring and effective implementation will be essential to ensure that the funds deliver their intended benefits.

Ultimately, the success of HOPE-EDU, ANRIN 2.0, and NG-CARES could serve as a blueprint for similar interventions across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in regions grappling with overlapping challenges related to poverty, food security, and education access.