The National Universities Commission (NUC) says at least 24,000 Nigerians will benefit from a new $65 million funding phase under the World Bank-supported Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project.
The agreement was formalised during the signing of performance contracts in Abuja on Wednesday, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The SPESSE initiative, backed by the World Bank, is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in procurement, environmental management, and social standards across public and private sector institutions.
Speaking at the event, Abdullahi Ribadu, the Executive Secretary of the NUC, said the additional funding builds on the successes recorded under the initial $80 million SPESSE programme launched in 2021.
He explained that the project was created to address the shortage of skilled professionals in procurement, environmental management, and social safeguard systems.
According to Ribadu, six centres of excellence have been established across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to provide specialised training and ensure regional inclusiveness.
He added that three of the centres have already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining centres are expected to begin by July 2026.
Under the new funding phase, the commission plans to produce at least 60 PhD graduates, attract 60 foreign students, support staff internships, and expand international student exchange programmes.
Also speaking, Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), said the SPESSE project has already trained over 2,700 officers from the public and private sectors.
He noted that the next phase would support the rollout of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system and expand online training opportunities for policymakers and small businesses.
The World Bank’s Task Team Leader for SPESSE, Ishtiak Siddique, disclosed that the programme had already trained more than 40,000 participants, with over 4,000 receiving professional certification in procurement, environmental, and social standards.
He said the fresh funding would focus on strengthening institutional capacity across federal, state, and local government levels to improve development outcomes nationwide.
The new financing raises the total value of the SPESSE programme to $145 million, following the World Bank’s approval of the additional $65 million facility in 2025.
