The National Universities Commission (NUC) disclosed that about 24,000 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the newly approved $65 million additional financing for the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project.
The development was formalised on Wednesday in Abuja during the signing of performance contracts involving participating institutions and other major stakeholders.
The SPESSE programme, supported by the World Bank, was designed to improve institutional capacity and professional competence in procurement, environmental management, and social safeguards within Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
Speaking during the ceremony, Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris Ribadu, explained that the initiative had already recorded notable progress since its launch, particularly through the establishment of six Centres of Excellence spread across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
According to him, the centres were strategically created to guarantee regional inclusiveness while building long-term expertise in critical governance and development sectors.
“With the support of the World Bank and under the coordination of the NUC, six centres of excellence were established across the six geopolitical zones to provide sustainable capacity building in these critical sectors,” Ribadu said.
He explained that the universities selected for the programme emerged through a rigorous and competitive process that assessed institutional readiness, quality assurance systems, and sustainability frameworks.
Ribadu further revealed that three of the centres had already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining institutions are expected to begin doctoral training by July 2026.
Under the fresh financing arrangement, the NUC plans to produce at least 60 PhD graduates, attract no fewer than 60 foreign students, and strengthen staff internship opportunities alongside international student exchange programmes.
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also highlighted the growing impact of the SPESSE initiative on governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Director-General of the BPP, Adebowale Adedokun, stated that more than 2,700 officers from both public and private organisations had already undergone specialised training under the programme to improve procurement practices nationwide.
Adedokun noted that the next phase would support the implementation of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system while also expanding virtual training opportunities for policymakers and small businesses involved in public sector financial management.
Meanwhile, the World Bank Task Team Leader for SPESSE, Ishtiak Siddique, said the programme had already exceeded several expectations since its rollout.
According to him, the first phase of the initiative trained over 40,000 participants, while more than 4,000 individuals obtained certifications in procurement, environmental, and social standards.
Siddique added that the new financing phase would focus heavily on strengthening the operational capacity of federal, state, and local government institutions to improve project delivery and governance outcomes across Nigeria.
The latest intervention builds on the initial $80 million SPESSE project which became operational in 2021.
Last year, the World Bank approved an additional $65 million credit facility for the initiative, pushing the total funding commitment for the programme to $145 million.
The SPESSE project has increasingly become one of the Federal Government’s flagship capacity-building programmes aimed at improving transparency, procurement efficiency, environmental management, and social accountability across public institutions in Nigeria.