Nigeria's $500 million HOPE for Quality Basic Education programme has been restructured following a 50% cut in its Global Partnership for Education grant. The revised plan, detailed in a World Bank document, slashes funding for new classroom construction but expands the number of states receiving targeted support and increases budgets for school grants and teaching materials. The programme's core objective and timeline remain intact.
The Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank have finalized a significant restructuring of the $500 million HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme.
The modifications adjust funding priorities and expand the geographic scope of targeted interventions in response to a sharp reduction in grant financing from the Global Partnership for Education. Under the revised plan, the allocation for constructing 13,000 new primary school classrooms has been cut dramatically. The original $5.2 million budget for this classroom construction component has been reduced to $2.25 million.
Another related allocation, for government-community agreements to support construction projects across 15 states, has also been decreased from $500,000 to $300,000. Despite these specific cuts, the overall programme target of creating 13,000 new classrooms remains unchanged, indicating a shift in strategy or expectations regarding cost-efficiency. The development objective, programme closing date, and core institutional arrangements are all confirmed to be unaffected by this restructuring, which is formally documented as the operation's first such revision.
The restructuring was necessitated by a nearly 50% reduction in Nigeria's GPE System Transformation Grant allocation, which dropped from $107.59 million to $53.975 million. Originally, this grant funding was to be co-managed by the World Bank and the United Nations Children's Fund.
However, following the funding cut, the Nigerian government proposed that the entire reduced grant be channeled through the World Bank-managed HOPE-Education programme. This consolidation of financial management under one agency is a key feature of the revised financing model. The programme itself, approved in March 2025, is financed by a $500 million International Development Association credit and the initial, now-reduced, GPE grant. Beyond the classroom construction cuts, the restructuring reallocates funds across numerous disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs).
The number of states eligible for targeted interventions under a key results area has been expanded from three to six, with the addition of Abia, Bauchi, and Kwara states to the GPE-supported list, which now includes Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Kebbi, Kwara, and Lagos. Funding for teaching and learning materials was notably increased, with new allocations of $7.419 million for Grades 1-3 and $3.569 million for Grades 4-6 in GPE-supported states.
Conversely, allocations for teacher mentoring (DLI 2) and literacy/numeracy proficiency (DLI 3) were reduced. A significant increase was applied to the DLI for annual school grants, which rose from $4.73 million to $7.865 million. The DLI for annual school census reporting also saw an increase. The World Bank noted that verification protocols will now differ for the GPE-supported states compared to the existing process for IDA-financed states, reflecting the bifurcated funding streams.
The overarching goal remains to improve foundational learning, increase access, and strengthen education systems in participating states
World Bank Nigeria HOPE Education Programme Global Partnership For Education GPE School Funding Classroom Construction Education Grant Disbursement-Linked Indicators State Interventions Basic Education Foundational Learning
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