Alausa urges states to meet conditions to access $552m World Bank education fund
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has urged state governments to fulfil the conditions required to access the $552 million World Bank-supported Hope for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme, warning that several states are yet to complete key requirements needed to benefit from the initiative.
Speaking on Tuesday at the opening of a five-day executive retreat for state commissioners of education in Abuja, Alausa said the programme offers a major opportunity for states to strengthen basic education but stressed that access to the funding depends on meeting agreed performance and administrative benchmarks.
According to the minister, although all 36 states are eligible for the programme, many have yet to sign Subsidiary Loan Agreements (SLAs), open designated programme accounts and comply with mandatory education data reporting obligations.
He urged commissioners to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to satisfy the programme’s conditions.
“All 36 states are eligible to benefit from the programme, but several are yet to complete critical requirements, including signing Subsidiary Loan Agreements, opening designated programme accounts and fulfilling mandatory data reporting obligations,” Alausa said.
He added that states must accelerate compliance to unlock additional resources that would improve access to education, learning outcomes and governance in the sector.
The minister said meaningful reforms in education would only succeed through stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments and a deliberate shift to evidence-based planning.
“Education remains the nation’s most powerful tool for economic growth, national security and sustainable development,” he said, adding that President Bola Tinubu had placed the sector at the centre of the Renewed Hope agenda through support for transformative reforms.
