The Federal Government is seeking $1.5 billion in fresh financing from the World Bank through three proposed loans targeted at social protection, early childhood development and climate resilience.
Documents from the World Bank show the three facilities, each worth $500 million, are at different stages of preparation, with the earliest expected before the Bank’s board in October 2026. The first is an additional $500 million credit for the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, or ACReSAL, scheduled for board consideration on October 29, 2026. The other two are the $500 million Nigeria Early Childhood Development programme, expected for approval on March 15, 2027, and the $500 million Household Prosperity and Empowerment – Social Protection Project, or HOPE-SP, scheduled for March 16, 2027. All three are proposed as credits from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).
Kanyi Daily reports that the ACReSAL financing expands an existing $700 million project approved in December 2021. If approved, the additional credit will raise total World Bank financing for the programme to $1.2 billion. Of the additional financing, $310 million is proposed for dryland management, $165 million for community climate resilience and $25 million for institutional strengthening and project management.
The programme operates across 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, tackling land degradation, water insecurity, climate vulnerability and declining agricultural productivity.
The Early Childhood Development facility is designed to increase access to an integrated package of services for children aged zero to five across all 36 states and the FCT. The programme will cover health, nutrition, early learning, childcare and related interventions. World Bank data show 40% of Nigerian children under five are stunted, fewer than half are developmentally on track, while only 36% of children aged between 36 and 59 months attend organised early learning. The entire $500 million operation is expected to be financed through an IDA credit with no financing gap.
HOPE-SP is intended to establish a more sustainable social assistance system for poor and vulnerable households. The $500 million IDA credit will support targeted conditional and unconditional cash transfers, strengthen social protection institutions and gradually shift financing from external sources toward federal and state budgets. The World Bank estimates 62.5% of Nigerians could be living in poverty in 2026, compared with 40% in 2019 and 56% in 2023.
The project documents remain preparatory, meaning the proposed credits are not yet approved loans. If all three secure final approval at their scheduled dates, they would add $1.5 billion to Nigeria’s World Bank financing pipeline.
Nigeria’s total public debt rose to ₦166.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026, from ₦159.35 trillion as of March 31, 2026. Domestic debt accounted for ₦91.59 trillion, or 54.91% of the total. External debt rose from $42.49 billion in December 2023 to $51.86 billion by December 2025, while domestic debt increased from ₦59.1 trillion to ₦89.4 trillion within the same period.
