World Bank’s $27m Grant to 20 States Validates Transparency Reforms – Umar Yakubu

By Muazu Abubakar Albarkawa 

The Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI), Dr. Umar Yakubu, has said the World Bank's decision to reward 20 Nigerian states with 27 million dollars under the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance (HOPE-GOV) Programme validates the importance of transparency and accountability in public governance.

Yakubu, in a statement issued on Friday, said the performance-based grants demonstrate that governments which embrace transparency, strengthen public financial management and comply with verifiable governance standards are increasingly being rewarded by development partners.

According to him, the grants, announced on June 30 during the retreat of Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Budget and Planning in Abuja, were based on independently verified results in basic education, primary healthcare and public financial management.

He said Bayelsa, Borno, Kano and Yobe met the verification standards in all four assessment areas, while Kebbi qualified in three. He added that Abia, Adamawa, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Taraba also earned grants after meeting the required standards in at least one category.

Yakubu noted that 16 states did not receive any allocation because they failed to satisfy one or more of the programme's verification requirements, including compliance with prescribed public disclosure standards.

He explained that one of the defining features of the HOPE-GOV assessment was its emphasis on verifiable public disclosure, stressing that reforms must be supported by accessible and independently verifiable information before they can qualify for performance-based financing.

«"The World Bank did not reward policy intentions or institutional promises. It rewarded measurable governance outcomes supported by independently verifiable evidence," he said.»

Yakubu said the assessment framework aligns closely with CeFTPI's Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), which evaluates public institutions using indicators such as fiscal transparency, open procurement, human resources and inclusion, control of corruption, and citizens' engagement.

He added that the programme's recognition of reforms relating to local government budgeting further underscores the need to strengthen transparency and accountability across Nigeria's 774 local government areas through initiatives such as the Nigerian Local Government Integrity Index (NLGII).

The CeFTPI boss urged all 36 state governments to institutionalise proactive disclosure by consistently publishing budgets, procurement records, audit reports, debt profiles and other statutory governance documents on their official websites.

He also called for stronger inter-agency coordination, improved public access to government information, greater transparency at the local government level and increased citizen participation in monitoring public institutions.

Yakubu encouraged states that did not benefit from the grants to view the outcome as an opportunity to improve their governance systems rather than as a condemnation.

He disclosed that the 2026 Transparency and Integrity Index would be released on September 28, 2026, to coincide with the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

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