The National Universities Commission (NUC) has announced that no fewer than 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million funding phase under the World Bank-supported Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement project.
The performance contracts for the additional financing were signed on Wednesday in Abuja during a formal ceremony attended by major stakeholders, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The SPESSE project is a World Bank-backed initiative designed to strengthen institutional and human capacity in procurement, environmental management, and social standards within Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
Speaking during the event, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, explained that the new funding phase would build on the achievements recorded under the initial $80 million SPESSE programme launched in 2021.
According to Ribadu, the project was introduced to address the shortage of skilled professionals in procurement systems, environmental governance, and social safeguard management.
“With the support of the World Bank and under the coordination of the NUC, six centres of excellence were established across the six geopolitical zones to provide sustainable capacity building in these critical sectors,” he said.
He disclosed that the participating universities were selected through a competitive process that assessed their institutional capacity, quality assurance systems, and long-term sustainability plans.
Ribadu further stated that three of the six centres of excellence had already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining institutions are expected to begin their doctoral programmes by July 2026.
Under the latest funding phase, the commission plans to produce at least 60 PhD graduates, attract 60 foreign students, facilitate staff internships, and expand international student exchange programmes.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, revealed that the SPESSE initiative had already trained more than 2,700 officers from both the public and private sectors.
According to Adedokun, the next phase of the programme will support the implementation of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system and broaden online training opportunities for policymakers and small businesses involved in managing public funds.
Meanwhile, the World Bank Task Team Leader for SPESSE, Ishtiak Siddique, disclosed that the initial phase of the project trained over 40,000 participants, with more than 4,000 individuals earning certifications in procurement, environmental, and social standards.
He noted that the fresh financing would focus heavily on improving the capacity of federal, state, and local government institutions to enhance governance and development outcomes nationwide.
The additional $65 million funding approved by the World Bank raises the total SPESSE project financing to $145 million.
The initiative has become one of the Federal Government’s major capacity-building programmes aimed at improving governance standards, procurement systems, environmental management, and social safeguards across Nigeria’s public institutions.
