Federal Government: 24,000 Nigerians to benefit from $65 million World Bank funding

The National Universities Commission (NUC) announced that 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million phase of the World Bank‑backed Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project.

Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, the NUC’s Executive Secretary, made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja while signing performance contracts for the additional SPESSE funding.

He noted that the new funding follows the successful initial $80 million SPESSE project, which began in 2021.

Ribadu explained that the initiative aims to enhance Nigeria’s procurement, environmental management, and social standards capacity across both public and private institutions.

He added that the project tackles the shortage of skilled professionals in key governance domains.

He said that, with World Bank support and NUC coordination, six centres of excellence were set up in each of the six geopolitical zones to deliver sustainable capacity building in these critical sectors.

He added that the centres promote inclusivity throughout the country.

Ribadu noted that participating universities were chosen through a rigorous, competitive selection process that evaluated institutional readiness, quality assurance, and sustainability.

He said the institutions already play key roles in producing skilled manpower that supports transparency, environmental responsibility, and inclusive development.

The NUC head described the contract signing as a renewed commitment to accountability, sustainability, and institutional excellence.

Ribadu revealed that three of the six centres had already started PhD programmes, with the remaining centres expected to launch by July 2026.

Under the new phase, the commission aims to graduate at least 60 PhD students