The Federal Government is seeking $1.5 billion in proposed financing from the World Bank for climate resilience, early childhood development and social protection.

The proposed financing comprises three separate $500 million International Development Association (IDA) credits, according to documents cited in the report.

The facilities are at different stages of preparation and are therefore not yet approved loans.

$500m for Climate Resilience

The first proposed facility is an additional $500 million for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.

The World Bank is scheduled to consider the proposed financing on October 29, 2026.

If approved, the additional credit would increase total World Bank financing for ACReSAL from $700 million to $1.2 billion.

The proposed additional financing includes $310 million for dryland management, $165 million for community climate resilience and $25 million for institutional strengthening and project management.

The programme covers 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, focusing on land degradation, water insecurity, climate vulnerability and agricultural productivity.

$500m Early Childhood Development Programme

Another proposed $500 million IDA credit is for Nigeria’s Early Childhood Development programme.

The programme is designed to expand access to integrated services for children aged zero to five and their caregivers across all 36 states and the FCT.

It will cover areas including health, nutrition, early learning and childcare.

According to the figures cited in the project documents, 40 per cent of Nigerian children under five are stunted, while fewer than half are developmentally on track.

Only 36 per cent of children aged between 36 and 59 months reportedly attend organised early learning.

The proposed facility is currently scheduled for World Bank board consideration on March 15, 2027.

Another $500m for Social Protection

The third proposed facility is the $500 million Household Prosperity and Empowerment – Social Protection Project, known as HOPE-SP.

The programme is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s social assistance system for poor and vulnerable households.

It would support targeted conditional and unconditional cash transfers, strengthen social protection institutions and gradually increase financing from federal and state government budgets.

The proposed facility is scheduled for board consideration on March 16, 2027.

Nigeria’s Debt Position

The proposed $1.5 billion financing comes as Nigeria’s public debt continues to attract attention.

The Debt Management Office reported that Nigeria’s total public debt stood at N166.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026. The DMO published the latest debt figure on September 25, 2026. 

The three World Bank facilities remain proposals at this stage. If approved on their currently scheduled dates, they would add $1.5 billion to Nigeria’s World Bank financing pipeline.

The World Bank’s current country financing database shows Nigeria had 215 projects and total commitment amounts of about $45.06 billion as of August 31, 2026. 

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