The World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme, housed in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, is set to release $27 million in performance-based incentives to states that met their Year Zero results.

The $500 million credit facility is designed to improve financial and human resource management in basic education and primary healthcare. Speaking at a retreat for budget and planning officials from the 36 states and the FCT, National Coordinator Assad Hassan said the disbursement followed the findings of an interim independent verification agent that assessed state performance against the disbursement-linked indicators.

The Year Zero results covered the adoption of guidelines for consolidated basic education and primary healthcare budgets, harmonised local government budget guidelines and the publication of citizens’ budgets. Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe are each to receive $1.5 million for two of the indicators.

Hassan said several other states qualified for $500,000 payments for adopting harmonised budget guidelines or publishing citizens’ budgets, while states that missed deadlines, fell short of the criteria or failed to publish results on their official websites were ineligible. He said the verification agent was working to conclude the second phase of Year Zero verification by July 2026, and that the programme, aimed at improving financing, transparency and staffing in the two sectors, had begun preparing a capacity-building plan to help states achieve results