Five Nigerian states have received a total of $27 million from the World Bank for outstanding performance in education and healthcare reforms under the HOPE Governance Programme.
The reward, announced on Tuesday, recognises significant improvements in service delivery and governance efficiency.
The states were selected based on rigorous criteria including transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes in key sectors.
The World Bank country director commended the states for their commitment, noting that the funds would further boost their capacity to deliver quality services to citizens.
While the specific states were not named in the initial announcement, the development is expected to spur healthy competition among other states to emulate best practices.
The programme is part of the World Bank’s broader support for Nigeria’s reform agenda.
However, critics argue that such rewards, while welcome, do not address the systemic challenges that continue to plague public service delivery in many parts of the country.
