The Federal Government said it is working to ensure that all 36 states sign the $500 million Subsidiary Loan Agreement that would enable them to participate in and benefit from the World Bank Group-assisted HOPE Governance Programme.

The programme is aimed at improving service delivery in the basic education and primary healthcare sectors.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh, disclosed this in Abuja when she received the HOPE Governance Team from the World Bank on a courtesy visit to her office.

She said her Ministry has been strategising with the Federal Ministry of Finance to get the states to sign the agreement.

“We will put in extra efforts to make it happen even faster, given the time constraints.

We have a timeline drawn up recently to achieve this,” she said.

The permanent secretary pledged to provide all the necessary institutional support to ensure that the programme delivers significant impact across the country.

“I am glad we are having this meeting, which is long overdue and certainly we are here all the time. We expect to see more tangible results and impact shortly,” she said.

The World Bank Task Team Leader, HOPE Governance Programme, Ikechukwu John Nweje, appealed to the permanent secretary to use all available channels to engage state governments and secure the signing of the agreement.