State governments participating in the World Bank programme, Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-GOV), have been given a 30-day deadline to publicly disclose contract awards for basic education and primary healthcare projects after the end of every quarter.
The directive was issued by the National Coordinator of the HOPE-GOV Programme, Assad Hassan, during the first Implementation Support Meeting of 2026 with State Focal Persons. The virtual meeting, held in Abuja, preceded the programme’s First Year Verification exercise by Independent Verification Agents (IVAs).
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the HOPE-GOV Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, Hassan said the quarterly publication of contract award details on official state government websites is mandatory and a key condition for accessing incentive funds under the programme.
He explained that the minimum information required for disclosure includes the project title, awarding ministry, department or agency, date of award, name of contractor, and the contract value. The disclosures are expected to align with transparency standards that allow independent verification.
Hassan noted that for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) without e-procurement systems, verification agents would obtain schedules of all contracts awarded above thresholds defined in state procurement laws and confirm whether the information published online complies with the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS).
For MDAs operating e-procurement platforms, he said the verification process would focus on the availability and functionality of online portals capable of capturing and publishing procurement data across the full procurement cycle. This includes checking that all transactions initiated after the launch of such platforms are publicly recorded in line with OCDS requirements.
Beyond procurement transparency, states were also directed to publish their 2026 citizens’ budgets for basic education and primary healthcare no later than February 28, 2026. Hassan said the simplified budgets must clearly outline revenue sources, including domestic revenues, grants, and loans, as well as total expenditures broken down by government functions.
He added that the budgets should specifically identify allocations to basic education and primary healthcare, detail programme-based spending linked to economic classifications, and include information on total revenue, total expenditure, budget deficits, financing gaps, sectoral and ministerial allocations, and major capital projects with their locations.
The HOPE-GOV framework also requires states to publish financial and performance audit reports for basic education and primary healthcare once they are submitted to their respective Houses of Assembly, in line with stipulated timelines.
In addition, Hassan disclosed that states must complete biometric capture and Bank Verification Number (BVN) linkage for at least 80 per cent of workers in basic education and primary healthcare. He said the measure is aimed at strengthening payroll integrity and eliminating ghost workers.
He noted that ongoing engagements with states are focused on strengthening institutional arrangements to ensure effective implementation of reforms and maximise development outcomes.
About 100 participants from the 36 states of the federation attended the virtual meeting.
The HOPE-GOV Programme is a results-based initiative supported by the World Bank to promote reforms in governance, service delivery, and human capital development. It links funding to measurable results rather than inputs, with a focus on improving education and health outcomes through transparency, accountability, and performance-based financing.
The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s broader human capital development agenda and complements existing reforms under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and the Universal Basic Education framework, which aim to improve financing, service delivery, and oversight in Nigeria’s social sectors.
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