The National Universities Commission, NUC, has announced that about 24,000 Nigerians are expected to benefit from a new $65 million funding phase of the World Bank-backed Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, SPESSE, project.
The Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, at the signing of performance contracts for the additional SPESSE financing in Abuja, said the fresh funding builds on the success of the initial $80 million SPESSE project, which became operational in 2021.
He disclosed that the initiative was created to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in procurement, environmental management and social standards across both public and private institutions.
Ribadu noted that the project was designed to address the shortage of skilled professionals 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 centres were selected through a competitive process that assessed institutional readiness, quality assurance and long-term sustainability.
The NUC boss said participating institutions had already begun producing skilled manpower to support transparency, environmental responsibility and inclusive national development.
He described the signing of the performance contracts as a renewed commitment to accountability, sustainability and institutional excellence.
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Ribadu added that the centres had recorded major milestones, including the introduction of specialised academic programmes ranging from short courses to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees.
He also highlighted investments in digital learning infrastructure and research facilities.
According to him, three of the six centres have already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining centres are expected to begin doctoral studies by July 2026.
He further disclosed that the new funding phase aims to produce at least 60 PhD graduates, attract 60 foreign students, support staff internships and expand international student exchange programmes.
Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Dr Adebowale Adedokun said the project had trained more than 2,700 public and private sector officials to strengthen procurement competence nationwide.
Adedokun promised that the next phase of the project would support the rollout of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system and expand online training opportunities for policymakers and small businesses involved in managing public funds.
The World Bank Task Team Leader for SPESSE, Mr Ishtiak Siddique said more than 40,000 participants had been trained under the original project, with over 4,000 certified in procurement, environmental and social standards.
Siddique said the additional financing would focus on strengthening the capacities of federal, state and local government institutions to accelerate development outcomes.
He added that sustainability remained central to the programme to ensure continuity beyond donor support.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola has reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to strengthening professional capacity under the SPESSE framework.
She pledged to deepen postgraduate training, strengthen institutional ownership and expand international collaborations under the programme.
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