The World Bank has sanctioned three initiatives totaling $1.57 billion aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s human capital by enhancing the health of women, children, and adolescents while also mitigating the impacts of climate change through improved dam safety and irrigation practices.
This new funding comprises $500 million dedicated to tackling governance challenges that hinder the provision of education and health services (HOPE-GOV), $570 million earmarked for the Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Program (HOPE-PHC), and $500 million allotted for the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria Project (SPIN).
In alignment with the Federal Government’s recently initiated reforms in the health sector, the World Bank mentioned that within the framework of the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, the HOPE-PHC initiative will enhance the quality and use of essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition services. This aims to significantly lower maternal and under-five mortality rates while strengthening the resilience of the health system—impacting 40 million individuals, particularly those in vulnerable groups.
The initiative is supported by a concessional $500 million International Development Association (IDA) credit along with an additional $70 million in grant funds from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF).