The World Bank has approved three funding initiatives totaling $1.08 billion to bolster education, nutrition, and economic resilience in Nigeria.
A statement on the bank’s website on Wednesday noted that the concessional loans aim to enhance education quality, strengthen household and community resilience, and improve nutrition for underserved populations.
The statement read, “The World Bank has approved three operations in Nigeria, totalling $1.08bn in concessional financing, to enhance education quality, build household and community resilience, and improve nutrition for underserved groups.”
The approved operations include $500m in additional financing for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme, $80m for Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0), and $500m for the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) initiative.
According to the statement, the NG-CARES Programme, initially designed to mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, will now support government efforts to expand access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households.
Having already reached over 15 million beneficiaries, the programme has evolved into a shock-responsive platform offering multisectoral interventions such as social transfers, labor-intensive public works, livelihood grants, and small business support.
The new funding will further extend its reach, particularly as Nigeria navigates economic challenges following the 2023 fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange rate unification.
The Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) programme aims to improve access to quality nutrition services for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls, and children under five. Focused on maternal and child health, the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s National Development Plan (2021–2025) and the Multisectoral Plan of Action for Food and Nutrition, promoting preventive and curative nutrition interventions, better feeding practices, and increased availability of micronutrient-rich foods.
Building on the success of its first phase, which provided nutrition services to over 13 million children under five between 2018 and 2024, ANRIN 2.0 will further enhance nutrition outcomes.
Meanwhile, the HOPE-EDU initiative, part of a broader series of interventions, aims to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, expand access to basic education, and improve education systems across participating states.
The project is expected to benefit 29 million public primary school pupils, 500,000 teachers, and over 65,000 public primary schools. It also seeks to address issues such as school overcrowding and decentralised education funding. Additionally, HOPE-EDU will receive an extra $52.18 million from the Global Partnership for Education Fund to support its objectives.
