The World Bank has approved three loan requests totaling $1.57 billion for Nigeria, aimed at strengthening human capital through better healthcare services and enhancing resilience to climate change. This financing includes $500 million for governance reforms in education and health, $570 million for primary healthcare improvements, and $500 million for dam safety and irrigation projects.

According to a statement released on Monday, the funding will support the Nigerian government’s efforts to improve health services for women, children, and adolescents, as well as protect the country from climate-related challenges like floods and droughts by upgrading infrastructure.

The HOPE-GOV and HOPE-PHC programs will focus on addressing governance issues in basic education and primary healthcare, seeking to improve service delivery and accountability. These projects aim to reduce maternal and under-five mortality rates, benefiting 40 million people.

The Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) project will improve dam safety, water resource management, and irrigation over 40,000 hectares, benefiting up to 950,000 people and supporting agricultural productivity. This program will also explore hydropower development through public-private partnerships.

This new approval underscores the World Bank’s ongoing support for Nigeria’s development, having already approved several other loan projects, including power, education, renewable energy, and economic stabilization programs, pushing Nigeria’s total debt to the World Bank to $15.59 billion as of March 2024.

World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Dr. Ndiamé Diop, emphasized the importance of these investments in improving access to quality services, particularly for women and girls, and addressing governance challenges that affect the delivery of healthcare and education.