The Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, has unveiled a new $65 million funding phase for the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project. This initiative is expected to benefit over 24,000 Nigerians through professional training and institutional capacity development.
Project Coordination and Objectives
Coordinated by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the project aims to strengthen procurement systems, environmental management, and social standards across public and private institutions. It promotes transparency, accountability, and sustainable development practices nationwide.
Executive Secretary of the NUC, Abdullahi Ribadu, announced this during the signing of performance contracts for the additional SPESSE financing in Abuja. He explained that this intervention builds on the achievements of the initial $80 million SPESSE project, which began in 2021. Ribadu noted that the program has significantly improved institutional frameworks and developed professional expertise in key governance sectors.
Addressing Shortage of Professionals
The initiative was introduced to address the shortage of qualified professionals in procurement, environmental management, and social standards within both public and private institutions. Ribadu stated: “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.”
Participating universities were selected through a transparent and competitive process based on institutional readiness, quality assurance, and sustainability. These institutions have continued to produce skilled manpower capable of advancing transparency, environmental responsibility, and inclusive national development.
Renewed Commitment to Excellence
Ribadu described the contract signing ceremony as a renewed commitment to accountability, sustainability, and institutional excellence. The centres have recorded major achievements, including the introduction of specialised academic programmes ranging from short courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Three of the six centres have already commenced PhD programmes, while the remaining centres are expected to begin by July 2026. Under the new funding phase, the Commission targets at least 60 PhD graduates, enrolment of 60 foreign students, staff internships, and expanded student exchange programmes with international institutions.
Impact on Procurement Competence
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun, reported that the project has trained over 2,700 officers from both public and private sectors to improve procurement competence nationwide. The next phase will support the rollout of Nigeria’s electronic procurement system and expand online capacity-building programmes for policymakers and small and medium-scale enterprises involved in managing public funds.
World Bank Support
The World Bank Task Team Leader for SPESSE, Ishtiak Siddique, revealed that more than 40,000 participants had benefited from training under the original project, with over 4,000 certified in procurement, environmental, and social standards. The additional funding will focus on strengthening the capacity of federal, state, and local government agencies to improve development outcomes and service delivery. Sustainability remains central to ensuring continuity beyond donor support.
University Commitment
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to advancing professional capacity development under the SPESSE framework through postgraduate training, institutional ownership, and international collaborations.
