The Universal Basic Education Commission says the $552.18m World Bank-backed HOPE-EDU programme will cover 65,000 public schools, 500,000 teachers and 10,000 non-formal learning centres, while supporting the construction of 13,000 classrooms.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has announced that a $552.18m World Bank-funded education programme will target 29 million children and 500,000 teachers across Nigeria.
The Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-EDU) programme will also cover 65,000 public schools and 10,000 non-formal learning centres, with plans to construct 13,000 additional classrooms.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Aisha Garba, disclosed the targets in Abuja during a two-day meeting with chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) on preparations for the programme’s implementation.
Garba said the programme became effective on February 27, 2026, and had entered its implementation phase. She urged state governments to demonstrate the political commitment and provide the funding required to achieve its objectives.
The initiative, supported by the World Bank, adopts a results-based financing model under which funds are disbursed based on the achievement of agreed targets and performance indicators.
According to Garba, HOPE-EDU is designed to improve learning outcomes, expand equitable access to basic education and strengthen governance and accountability in the education sector.
She said the programme has three major areas of focus: improving the quality of basic education, expanding access and strengthening key systems.
Of the programme’s funding, $262.239m has been allocated to improving education quality, $123.9m to expanding access and $133.611m to strengthening key systems.
Garba explained that the education-quality component is open to 33 states, with possible expansion to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, subject to participation in the HOPE-GOV operations.
The access component targets 15 states with the largest populations of out-of-school children that also meet other eligibility requirements, while the systems-strengthening component is open to all 36 states and the FCT.
She said the programme would prioritise better teaching, access to essential learning materials and improved academic performance among pupils in participating states.
It will also promote the Structured Pedagogy Programme to strengthen the teaching of literacy and numeracy in primary schools.
Garba stressed that implementation would require coordination among state ministries of education, SUBEBs, Local Education Authorities, schools and School-Based Management Committees.
She warned that the programme’s success would depend significantly on state governments providing the necessary policy direction and budgetary support.
The UBEC chief urged SUBEB chairmen to brief their respective state executives and secure their backing for the timely implementation of the programme.
She particularly highlighted the importance of the 2027 state budgets, noting that several performance indicators linked to funding would require states to make specific budgetary provisions.
According to her, many activities scheduled for the programme’s first year would depend on the inclusion of relevant allocations in the 2027 budgets.
Garba said the initiative, introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, was intended to ensure that children, particularly those in rural and marginalised communities and those currently out of school, had equitable access to quality basic education.
She charged SUBEB chairmen to take ownership of the programme and ensure their states met the agreed targets and performance requirements.
Earlier, the HOPE-EDU Programme Manager, Olumayowa Aleshin, presented an overview of the initiative, including its funding structure, implementation targets and major milestones.
The programme’s framework requires participating states to meet specified performance targets and verification requirements before receiving the corresponding funds.
The initiative is expected to support improvements in teaching and learning, widen access for underserved populations and strengthen the systems needed to deliver quality basic education nationwide.