Tinubu unveils $3.05 billion World Bank anti-poverty programmes

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday launched about $3.05 billion in World Bank-funded programmes aimed at reducing poverty, strengthening healthcare and education, and improving livelihoods for vulnerable Nigerians. Tinubu said the gains of his administration’s economic reforms must be felt by every household.

Three major programmes unveiled

Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, launched the programmes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The package includes the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing programme (NG-CARES), the Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities programme (SOLID), and the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity programme (HOPE).

The President said the interventions mark a new phase in the implementation of his Renewed Hope Agenda. They complement macroeconomic reforms with targeted investments in social protection and human capital development.

“Positive results are emerging from our reforms. Robust growth is returning. Confidence is rising. But that progress must be felt in every household, not just in national statistics,” Tinubu said. He added, “Real prosperity means no Nigerian is left behind on our journey to a $1 trillion economy by 2030.”

Breakdown of the $3.05 billion package

The President said the package comprises about $1.25 billion in total financing for NG-CARES, a $300 million SOLID programme for internally displaced persons and host communities, and the $1.5 billion HOPE programme focusing on governance, primary healthcare and education. Together, they amount to about $3.05 billion in World Bank-supported financing.

However, The PUNCH observed that the $1.25 billion NG-CARES package includes $500 million in additional financing and the existing programme envelope.

Tinubu described the interventions as a unified national strategy to tackle poverty, improve service delivery, and build resilient communities. “These five programmes are not separate entities. They are one coordinated national strategy for poverty reduction, human capital development, and community resilience,” he said.

He added that the programmes would align the Federal Government, states and local governments around a ward-based approach to improving livelihoods, education, healthcare and social protection. “We’re building a Nigeria where extreme poverty is banished, where every child has access to quality education and healthcare, and where every community can withstand adversity and recover faster and stronger,” he said.

Minister details programme impact

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, described the programmes as strategic interventions designed to translate the Renewed Hope Agenda into measurable improvements for poor and vulnerable Nigerians. He said the initiatives would strengthen social protection, expand economic opportunities, improve human capital outcomes, and support vulnerable communities across the country.

Bagudu noted that while the government’s macroeconomic reforms had created more fiscal space, additional external financing was required to cushion the impact of economic shocks. “The macroeconomic reforms have released remarkable resources, some significant amount of resources for government investment in this area, but that investment is not enough, particularly in the short run. Thus, the need for additional support from both the World Bank and development finance,” he said.

According to him, the original NG-CARES programme, implemented between 2021 and 2025, reached 17.6 million beneficiaries. These included poor households, farmers, nano, micro and small enterprises, and communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other socio-economic shocks. He said the additional financing would deepen livelihood support, strengthen food security, enhance community resilience and improve social protection systems.

Bagudu added that the $300 million SOLID programme would help internally displaced persons and host communities move beyond humanitarian assistance by restoring livelihoods, strengthening resilience, improving access to social services and supporting local infrastructure. He said the $1.5 billion HOPE programme would strengthen governance systems, improve primary healthcare, enhance learning outcomes and support reforms aimed at improving accountability and service delivery at state and local government levels.

“The true strength of these programmes lies in their complementarity. NG-CARES builds resilience and strengthens institutions. SOLID restores dignity, opportunity, and stability to displaced persons and host communities, and HOPE builds human capital required for long-term prosperity through investments in health, education, and governance,” Bagudu said.

Health sector reforms showing results

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, said reforms in the health sector were already yielding measurable results. He said over 3,000 primary healthcare centres had been revitalised in the past three years, with another 1,900 projects underway. More than 43,000 women and newborns had benefited from emergency medical transport services.

Pate added that about 78,000 health workers had been retrained and quarterly visits to primary healthcare centres had risen to 45.5 million from fewer than 10 million in 2023. “The reforms at the sectoral level, health, education, the humanitarian sector, and the social sectors, are really about the people. Nigeria is people. Investing in the people is what these programmes are about,” he said.

Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, said the education component of the HOPE programme represents a $552 million investment supported by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education.

For Nigerian households, these programmes signal a push to translate macroeconomic gains into direct relief. If implemented effectively, they could cushion the impact of rising living costs and improve access to basic services, especially for vulnerable communities.