The World Bank has given the green light to three significant operations designed to bolster education, nutrition, and community resilience in Nigeria, with a combined concessional financing total of $1.08 billion. The package comprises $500 million in additional funding for the NG-CARES Program, $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN 2.0) initiative, and another $500 million for the Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) scheme.
The revitalized NG-CARES Program is intended to provide essential support to poor and vulnerable households by enhancing access to livelihood support and food security services. ANRIN aims to deliver cost-effective nutrition services to pregnant and lactating women, adolescent girls, and children under five, thereby tackling malnutrition in targeted communities. Meanwhile, HOPE-EDU will focus on strengthening foundational learning and access to basic education, aiding education systems across several Nigerian states.
Originally launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, NG-CARES evolved into a multifaceted platform supporting millions across Nigeria through various economic interventions. The program operates in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, offering services such as social transfers, labor-based public works, and support for micro and small enterprises. This new funding will further strengthen the program in light of ongoing economic challenges, spurred by domestic policy changes like the 2023 fuel subsidy reform.
Aligned with Nigeria’s national strategies on development and nutrition, ANRIN 2.0 intends to combat malnutrition by increasing access to integrative nutrition services. It aims to provide crucial nutritional support, improve dietary diversity, and make nutrient-rich foods more accessible to at-risk populations. The original ANRIN program reached over 13 million children with nutrition initiatives between 2018 and 2024.
The HOPE-EDU initiative, part of a trilogy of interrelated programs, connects with Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education targets. It is geared to aid millions of children, teachers, and schools by promoting foundational literacy and numeracy through structured pedagogical methods and decentralized management of educational funds. This program also receives sizeable co-financing from the Global Partnership for Education Fund.
"Investing in human capital is critical for Nigeria as it offers the best opportunity to unlock the enormous potential of Nigeria. These new set of programs will help Nigeria to accelerate education quality and support to vulnerable citizens. The HOPE-EDU program will enable better education outcomes by implementing bold reforms and making the right investments to equip the fast-growing young population with foundational skills and knowledge necessary for rapid and inclusive economic growth,” said Dr. Ndiamé Diop, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria. "Nutrition interventions from ANRIN will enhance household access to micronutrient rich foods and nutrition services at the primary healthcare level, improve dietary diversity, and provide essential nutritional support to vulnerable populations, mitigating the immediate risks of malnutrition and food insecurity. The NG-CARES additional financing will support the Nigerian government in transitioning from responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 crisis to building household and community resilience."