Abia Among 15 States to Receive $500,000 World Bank-Backed Governance Grant

Abia State has emerged as one of 15 states approved to receive a $500,000 performance-based grant under the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme after meeting key governance and budgeting targets.

The Federal Government announced the approval of a total of $27 million in grants for states that satisfied the programme’s performance requirements.

The National Coordinator of the HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, disclosed this during a retreat for commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of budget and planning from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

According to Hassan, Abia, alongside Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Yobe, qualified for the $500,000 grant after successfully publishing their 2025 citizens’ budgets for basic education and primary healthcare.

The grants are designed to reward states that demonstrate transparency, accountability and improved governance practices, particularly in sectors critical to human capital development.

Hassan further disclosed that Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe each qualified for an additional $1.5 million after adopting comprehensive guidelines for preparing and submitting consolidated work plans for basic education and primary healthcare budgets.

Similarly, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Kano, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe also qualified for an additional $500,000 each for adopting harmonised budget guidelines and chart of accounts for local governments.

The HOPE Governance Programme is a World Bank-supported initiative aimed at strengthening public financial management, improving service delivery and promoting transparency in governance across Nigeria.

Abia’s qualification for the grant is expected to provide additional resources to support reforms in education and healthcare budgeting while reinforcing the state’s commitment to accountability and citizen-focused governance.

The programme’s performance-based approach is designed to encourage states to implement reforms that improve planning, budgeting and service delivery, with incentives tied directly to measurable achievements in governance and public sector management.