The World Bank has allocated $40 million to help expand financial protection for poor and vulnerable Nigerians through a new health programme backed by a loan.
This funding is part of the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equality – Health Programme-for-Results (HOPE-Health-PforR), which was approved on September 26, 2024.
The broader initiative includes a $500 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) and a $70.01 million grant from the Global Financing Facility. Running until June 30, 2029, the programme aims to improve access to quality healthcare and strengthen Nigeria’s health system.
According to World Bank documents, the $40 million is linked to Disbursement Linked Indicator 3 (DLI 3), which focuses on increasing financial protection for poor Nigerians through health insurance and related schemes.
This funding will be released based on performance—only if the federal and state governments meet specific targets and verify progress.
The DLI falls under Result Area 2 of the programme, which targets increased use of essential services. In total, $272.5 million is earmarked for this area, including $239 million from IDA and $33.5 million in grants. The World Bank noted that disbursements are time-bound and scalable, tied to the pace and success of implementation.
The HOPE-Health programme focuses on equity in healthcare, maternal and child health, digital infrastructure, and institutional reform.
It follows a Program-for-Results model paired with technical assistance funded through Investment Project Financing.
This assistance will support capacity building for agencies such as the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and the National Health Insurance Authority.
Additional components of the programme include deploying public health fellows to all 774 local government areas, rolling out digital health platforms, and scaling maternal health innovations in underserved and climate-vulnerable regions.
The programme also follows a Sector-Wide Approach, ensuring coordination between national stakeholders and development partners.
Out-of-pocket health expenses continue to dominate Nigeria’s healthcare financing. The $40 million support is considered critical in easing the financial burden on the poor.
However, actual disbursement will depend on the government achieving enrolment targets and proving it is protecting citizens from catastrophic health costs.
Meanwhile, the World Bank’s Africa’s Pulse report (April 2025) projects a 3.6 percentage point increase in poverty in Nigeria by 2027.
It notes that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s poorest region, with Nigeria among four countries housing half of the region’s extremely poor population.
The report attributes Nigeria’s rising poverty to falling oil prices and fragile governance.
In 2024, poverty in resource-rich but fragile countries averaged 46%, compared to 33% in more stable resource-rich nations.
In a related development, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, announced that six million Nigerians have benefited from the Federal Government’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme in the past six months—compared to just two million over the previous nine years.
He added that the government is digitising the social register, issuing digital IDs, and opening e-wallet accounts for beneficiaries. The ministry also requested World Bank verification of the programme’s effectiveness. Of the first four million recipients, 96% were verified in person by the World Bank’s independent team.
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The minister said the goal is to reach 15 million Nigerians by October 2025, with President Bola Tinubu directing that the funds be fully disbursed within nine months.
