The Federal Government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to drive the implementation of the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) programme — a reform initiative targeting service delivery challenges in healthcare, education, and governance across Nigeria.
The HOPE programme is designed to improve access to essential services, strengthen human capital development, and lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. The newly constituted committee, inaugurated in Abuja Monday, is chaired by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and co-chaired by Finance Minister Wale Edun; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate; Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa; and Minister of Women Affairs, Muntanqa Umar-Sadiq.
Bagudu, while inaugurating the committee, emphasized the importance of inter-agency collaboration to ensure the seamless execution of the HOPE programme.
“We are not competing, we are complementing each other to drive the HOPE project,” he stated, adding that the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning’s role is to coordinate and align programmes with the Federal Government’s National Development Plans.
The committee’s responsibilities include monitoring implementation progress, evaluating achievements under the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs), reviewing disbursements to agencies, assessing risk factors, and overseeing communication and reporting under the programme.
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, through the HOPE Governance National Programme Coordinating Unit (NCPU), will serve as the programme’s Secretariat. Dr Assad Hassan, as the National Coordinator, will lead coordination with relevant federal, state, and local government entities.
The HOPE programme, established with support from the World Bank, seeks to address critical service gaps that have long undermined Nigeria’s human capital development. Recent data shows the magnitude of these challenges.
In healthcare, Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio stands at approximately 1:5,000, well below the World Health Organization’s recommended 1:600, indicating an estimated 88 per cent service delivery gap in personnel. Additionally, only 43 per cent of births are attended by skilled health professionals — a key indicator of weak health system access.
In education, the country has over 10.5 million out-of-school children, representing nearly 20 per cent of its school-age population. The public primary school pupil-to-teacher ratio remains at 1:46, far exceeding the UNESCO recommended 1:25, suggesting a 45 per cent teacher deficit.
In the area of governance, Nigeria ranked 150 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (2024), pointing to systemic inefficiencies in public service delivery. Furthermore, only 30 per cent of Nigerians trust government institutions to deliver services effectively (Afrobarometer 2023), highlighting a 70 per cent trust gap in governance performance.
In their remarks, Ministers Edun, Pate, and Alausa pledged their full support for the HOPE programme, describing it as central to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritizes human capital development as a cornerstone of economic reforms.
“The President’s agenda is about uplifting people, improving access to education and health, and restoring trust in institutions. HOPE is a strategic part of that,” noted Coordinating Minister for Health, Ali Pate.
Earlier, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Sampson Ebimaro, described the HOPE project as a timely intervention supported by the World Bank to strengthen Nigeria’s core public service architecture.
“It’s about improving essential services and ensuring long-term national development,” he said.
With implementation expected to begin, the Inter-Ministerial Committee is expected to meet regularly to track progress, resolve bottlenecks, and publish results that will inform future investments in human capital.
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