Abia qualifies for World Bank governance grant as FG approves $27m for states
Abia State is among 15 states approved to receive a 500,000-dollar performance-based grant under the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme for meeting key governance and budgeting targets.
The Federal Government announced the approval of a total of 27 million dollars in grants for states that met the programme’s performance requirements.
National Coordinator of the HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, disclosed this during a retreat for commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of budget and planning from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.
According to Hassan, Abia, alongside Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Yobe, qualified for the 500,000-dollar grant after publishing their 2025 citizens’ budgets for basic education and primary healthcare.
He also said Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe each qualified for an additional 1.5 million dollars for adopting comprehensive guidelines for preparing and submitting consolidated work plans for basic education and primary healthcare budgets.
Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Kano, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe also qualified for 500,000 dollars each for adopting harmonised budget guidelines and chart of accounts for local governments.