The National Universities Commission has announced that no fewer than 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million phase of the World Bank-supported Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement project, building on an initial $80 million investment that became effective in 2021 and has already trained over 40,000 participants across the country.
NUC Executive Secretary Professor Abdullahi Ribadu, speaking at the performance contract signing ceremony in Abuja, said the initiative was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in procurement, environmental management, and social standards across public and private institutions, addressing a recognised shortage of skilled professionals in critical governance areas. Six centres of excellence had been established across the six geopolitical zones under the original project, with three already running PhD programmes and others expected to commence by July 2026.
The new phase targets at least 60 PhD graduates, enrolment of 60 foreign students, expanded staff internships, and deeper international academic collaborations. Bureau of Public Procurement Director-General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun said the project had already trained over 2,700 public and private sector officers, and that the next phase would support the rollout of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system and expand online capacity-building for policymakers and small businesses handling public funds.
World Bank Task Team Leader Ishtiak Siddique said the additional funding would prioritize capacity building for federal, state, and local government agencies to accelerate development impact, with sustainability built into the design to ensure continuity beyond donor support.
