Federal Government has urged state governments to expedite the processes required to access the $552 million World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme, warning that several states risk missing out on the performance-based funding despite being eligible beneficiaries.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the call yesterday in Abuja at the opening of the five-day Executive Retreat for Commissioners of Education organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN).

He emphasised that unlocking the funds is critical to improving access to quality education, strengthening learning outcomes and deepening education sector reforms across the country.

Alausa disclosed that although all 36 states are eligible to benefit from the programme, many are yet to fulfil key requirements, including signing Subsidiary Loan Agreements (SLAs), opening designated programme accounts and meeting mandatory education data reporting obligations.

The Minister urged Commissioners of Education to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to satisfy the Programme-for-Results conditions needed to access the funding.

The HOPE Education Programme, which became effective in March 2026, is designed to provide performance-based financing to states that meet agreed implementation milestones. According to the World Bank, the initiative supports reforms aimed at improving education governance, financing systems, teacher quality and education data management.

Alausa stressed that Nigeria’s education reforms can only succeed through stronger collaboration between the Federal and State Governments and a deliberate transition to data-driven decision-making.

He described education as Nigeria’s most powerful instrument for economic growth, national security and sustainable development, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has placed education at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda through bold policy reforms and sustained political support.

While acknowledging the Federal Government’s role in providing policy direction and strategic interventions, the Minister noted that the delivery of quality education remained largely the responsibility of state governments, making stronger collaboration indispensable.

He identified the deployment of the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) as among the most significant reforms currently underway in the sector.

According to him, the integrated digital platforms will provide real-time data on learner enrolment, teacher deployment, school infrastructure and learning outcomes to support effective planning, budgeting, monitoring and resource allocation.

He explained that the platforms would integrate educational data from schools, local governments, states, and federal institutions into a single interoperable system, thereby improving accountability, transparency, and service delivery.

In his keynote presentation titled, ‘Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption’, former Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, challenged commissioners to implement reforms that would outlive political administrations through policy continuity, stronger teacher development and sustained investments in learning outcomes.

Also speaking, the Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme, Shin Nomura, who represented the World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reform agenda and urged states to complete all preparatory requirements to facilitate timely access to the programme’s funding.