The National Coordinator of the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, has urged both federal and state governments to make better use of concessional loans to strengthen public institutions and ensure governance reforms continue even after external funding ends.
He made the appeal on Tuesday in Enugu during a South-East implementation support mission organised under the programme by the World Bank, warning that Nigeria risks repeating a pattern where reforms collapse once donor-funded projects conclude.
Hassan stressed that while development partners provide soft and concessional financing, the responsibility lies with Nigerian authorities to sustain and institutionalise the reforms.
According to him, previous initiatives such as the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability programme delivered incentives but failed to produce lasting structural changes in many areas. He questioned whether lessons from past programmes had been properly applied.
The HOPE Governance Programme focuses on strengthening systems in basic education and primary healthcare across states, aiming to improve service delivery and long-term institutional performance.
Hassan said the real measure of success would be whether state governments can convert financial support into permanent governance improvements that continue beyond the life cycle of the project.
He also noted that sustained reforms would help states build credibility and attract further international development support.
Representing the World Bank, Task Team Lead Ikechukwu Nweje explained that the Programme-for-Results approach used under the initiative ties funding directly to measurable outcomes, ensuring that reforms produce tangible results.
He added that technical support would continue for participating states, with additional consultants deployed to strengthen implementation capacity.
The Enugu State Government was also commended for progress in education and primary healthcare reforms during the mission, which was officially opened on behalf of Governor Peter Mbah.
Nigeria continues to rely heavily on concessional financing from multilateral institutions like the World Bank to support governance and public sector reforms, particularly in key social sectors.
However, concerns remain over the country’s ability to sustain reforms after project funding ends, a challenge development partners say has repeatedly weakened long-term impact.
The HOPE Governance Programme is designed to address this gap by linking funding to performance outcomes in education and healthcare, two critical sectors for national development.
