The National Universities Commission has signed a $65 million performance contract with six universities under the World Bank-backed SPESSE project to strengthen procurement, environmental, and social governance standards in Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja, NUC Executive Secretary Abdullahi Ribadu said the project would deepen capacity building, expand specialised academic programmes, and improve transparency in public service delivery.
The programme, launched in 2021 with an initial $80 million World Bank facility, has already trained over 40,000 people and established six centres of excellence nationwide.
World Bank official Ishtiak Siddique said the new funding phase would also support the rollout of an electronic procurement system powered by emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
