The World Bank says it plans to train an additional 24,000 Nigerians in procurement, environmental, and social standards under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, SPESSE, Project, with additional $65 million funding, bringing total funding for the initiative to $145 million.
Task Team Lead for the SPESSE Project, Mr. Ishtiaq Siddique, disclosed this during the signing of Performance Contracts by Vice-Chancellors of SPESSE host universities, following the commencement of the project’s additional financing phase.
According to Siddique, the newly approved $65 million additional financing builds on the original $80 million investment already committed to the project.
“We are aiming even higher. Additional 24,000 people at least will be trained under the additional financing,” he said.
The World Bank official explained that the new phase of the project would prioritise training for officials in strategic public institutions at the federal, state, and local government levels to accelerate the impact of reforms on governance and service delivery.
“One change that we are making is targeting critical public agencies. Those critical agencies at the federal, state and local government levels will be prioritised so that the impact can be seen by the population of Nigeria faster,” he stated.
Siddique described the SPESSE initiative as one of the World Bank’s most strategic partnerships with Nigeria because of its cross-cutting relevance to governance, accountability, and national development.
“This particular project is very close to our heart because this project actually cuts across all sectors.
“If you want to do any development activities in the country or any particular service from the government side you want to give to citizens, you need to handle procurement, environment, and social safeguards. Without these three critical areas, it is not possible to provide any service to citizens,” he said.
He revealed that more than 40,000 people had already been trained under the first phase of the project, while over 4,000 professionals had received certification through programmes coordinated by the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
“It’s not just about giving training only. They have to continuously nurture their skills, continuously learn, and that will be monitored through this certification programme,” he said.
The World Bank official also disclosed that the additional financing phase would support the deployment of a full electronic procurement system at the federal level, with plans for future expansion to states across the country.
According to him, the e-procurement platform would leverage emerging technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and transparency in public procurement processes.
“The way it is being designed, it takes advantage of new technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public procurement so that things can be done very quickly,” he added.
Siddique stressed that sustainability remained the central objective of the additional financing arrangement, noting that the project was designed to continue beyond donor support through government ownership and internally generated revenue.
“We want to see that this project can continue without the support of development partners. That is our core goal under the additional financing,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, disclosed that Nigeria’s SPESSE project is targeting the production of at least 60 PhD graduates, enrolment of 60 foreign students, and the facilitation of international exchange programmes.
Ribadu ssid the new phase of the project marks “a renewed opportunity to consolidate achievements, scale impact, and deepen sustainability measures across the participating institutions.
“The host universities and Centres are expected to strengthen institutional ownership of the project, expand online and distance learning opportunities, increase regional enrolment, deepen collaborations with industry and international partners, mobilise resources, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Centres beyond external funding support.”
He explained that the SPESSE initiative was established to bridge the shortage of skilled professionals in procurement, environmental, and social safeguards, while also addressing the limited number of specialised academic programmes in those areas within the Nigerian University System.
He noted that six Centres of Excellence were established across the country’s six geo-political zones through a competitive selection process designed to ensure regional inclusion and institutional quality.
Ribadu said the project had recorded substantial progress since becoming operational in 2021, including the development of curricula for short courses, postgraduate diplomas, master’s degrees, undergraduate programmes, and advanced certificate programmes.
He added that investments in high-performance computing infrastructure, learning management systems, live-streaming facilities, and digital learning platforms had significantly strengthened teaching, learning, and research activities across the centres.
“In line with ongoing efforts to internationalise education in the Nigerian University System, some of the Centres have enrolled foreign students, thereby expanding the host universities’ international outlook,” he stated.
According to him, the centres have collectively established more than 68 international partnerships to promote collaboration in teaching, research, and professional development.
Ribadu further disclosed that certification portals covering procurement, environmental, and social standards were developed and activated in 2025 by the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to strengthen professional certification and quality assurance in the sector.
He revealed that three of the six SPESSE Centres had already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining three are expected to begin in the next academic session starting in July 2026.
“I am proud to inform you that this is already being actualised, with the commencement of PhD programmes by three of the six Centres, and the outstanding three set to commence in the next academic session commencing in July 2026,” he said.
Ribadu also urged participating universities to take advantage of emerging regional opportunities, disclosing that The Gambia had expressed interest in sending students to the SPESSE Centres.
“My recommendation is that each SPESSE host university offer some form of scholarship — whether tuition or accommodation — to facilitate and fast-track the enrolment of these foreign students,” he added.
The NUC boss said additional targets under the project include facilitating at least 18 staff internships, establishing robust management information systems, and supporting at least 60 international student exchange programmes.
He commended the Vice-Chancellors for endorsing the performance contracts, describing the move as a reaffirmation of their commitment to “excellence, accountability, sustainability, and impact.”
Ribadu also praised the World Bank and other partner agencies for supporting efforts to improve capacity development and global competitiveness within Nigerian universities.
On his part, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, said the SPESSE initiative had gained national and international recognition for producing professionally competent officers in procurement and related sectors.
“This project has not only attracted national attention, it has also gained global interest in the area of academically sound officers and well-trained professional officers,” Adedokun said.
He added that over 2,700 officers from public institutions and the private sector had benefited directly from training programmes under the initiative.
