Funding for new classroom construction under Nigeria’s World Bank-backed basic education programme has fallen by 55.3 per cent following a major restructuring of the $500 million HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) initiative.
According to a restructuring document from the , allocations for community-driven construction of new primary school classrooms dropped from $5.7 million to $2.55 million after adjustments to the Global Partnership for Education financing component.
The HOPE-EDU programme, approved in March 2025, is financed through a $500 million International Development Association credit and a $52.18 million grant from the . It is designed to improve literacy outcomes, expand access to basic education, and strengthen school systems across participating states.
The World Bank said the restructuring followed a reduction in Nigeria’s allocation under the GPE System Transformation Grant, which was cut from $107.59 million to $53.98 million.
The document further showed that funding for government-community agreements supporting classroom construction also fell from $500,000 to $300,000, while allocations tied to the delivery of 13,000 new classrooms dropped from $5.2 million to $2.25 million.
Despite the reduction in infrastructure financing, the programme retained its target of delivering 13,000 new primary school classrooms by June 2029.
The World Bank noted that the restructuring did not change the project’s development objectives, implementation arrangements, or closing date.
It also confirmed that the programme only became effective on February 26, 2026, and is still in early implementation stages.
The report indicated that none of the $500 million IDA credit had been disbursed at the time of the restructuring, leaving the entire facility undrawn.
While classroom construction funding declined, some components of the programme were expanded.
Results Area 1 will now cover 33 states, up from the initial 30, with Abia, Bauchi and Kwara newly included.
The Federal Government reportedly proposed that the reduced GPE allocation be fully managed by the World Bank through HOPE-EDU, following the exit of from co-management arrangements.
The programme is expected to benefit about 19.48 million primary school pupils and support 2.86 million out-of-school children through formal and non-formal literacy initiatives by 2029.
It also aimed to strengthen education data systems, including the digital publication of annual school census reports across 35 states.
In contrast to cuts in infrastructure spending, funding for learning materials and school support increased.
Allocations for teaching and learning materials rose from $6.67 million to $10.99 million, while annual school grants increased from $4.73 million to $7.87 million.
Funding for annual school census reporting also rose from $4.45 million to $5.68 million.
However, financing linked to literacy and numeracy proficiency indicators declined from $7.93 million to $5.06 million, while support for non-formal education programmes for out-of-school children fell from $1.73 million to $1.28 million.
The Federal Government’s HOPE-EDU reform initiative, backed by a combined $552.18 million from the World Bank and GPE, is aimed at addressing structural challenges in Nigeria’s basic education sector.
Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alausa has said the programme is intended to improve access, quality, and learning outcomes across public basic schools nationwide.
