The Federal Government has begun efforts to improve how states plan, allocate and manage funds for basic education and primary healthcare ahead of the 2027 fiscal year.
The initiative is being implemented under the World Bank-assisted HOPE Governance Programme (HOPE-GOV), which aims to strengthen public sector governance, institutional capacity and accountability in the delivery of essential services.
Under the programme, officials from Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are participating in a technical workshop scheduled to run in Abuja from October 12 to November 4, 2026.
Joe Mutah, Communications Officer of HOPE-GOV, disclosed the development in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the training would help state governments align their 2027 budgets with sectoral priorities and operational plans for education and primary healthcare.
The exercise is expected to strengthen the connection between budgetary allocations and service delivery, ensuring that public funds are directed towards identified needs in schools and primary healthcare facilities.
According to the programme, the workshop will be conducted in four batches, with participating states expected to identify weaknesses in their budgeting processes and develop practical solutions to improve planning, implementation and accountability.
A key focus will be aligning Primary Healthcare Annual Operational Plans, Basic Education Annual Consolidated Workplans and 2027 budget proposals with the requirements of Disbursement Linked Indicator 2 under the HOPE-GOV Programme.
Training sessions will cover the National Chart of Accounts, programme-based budgeting, project prioritisation and costing, mapping and geo-tagging, as well as aligning sectoral plans with approved budget ceilings.
These measures are intended to help states identify priority projects, estimate their costs more accurately and establish clearer links between spending and expected outcomes.
Participants will include Permanent Secretaries responsible for Budget and Planning, Executive Secretaries of State Primary Health Care Development Agencies, and chairmen and executive secretaries of State Universal Basic Education Boards.
Directors of budget, officers responsible for education and primary healthcare budgets, and state focal persons for HOPE-GOV will also take part in the exercise.
Beyond the technical sessions, officials are expected to examine challenges specific to their respective states and develop approaches to improve the credibility and execution of their financial plans.
The programme is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and focuses on improving planning, budgeting, institutional capacity and accountability in basic education and primary healthcare.
The two sectors are central to human capital development, with effective public spending expected to support better learning conditions, access to essential healthcare and improved living standards.
The workshop comes ahead of the preparation and implementation of states’ 2027 budgets. Its effectiveness will depend on how participating governments translate the training into realistic budget proposals, timely fund releases, transparent spending and measurable improvements in public services.
