Dr. Assad Hassan, National Coordinator of the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme, has called on Nigerian governments at all levels to strategically use concessional loans to drive lasting institutional reforms. Speaking at the HOPE Governance South-east Implementation Support Mission in Enugu on Tuesday, Hassan emphasized that while the World Bank provides soft loans, the responsibility lies with Nigerian authorities to ensure sustainability of reform initiatives. The HOPE Governance Programme aims to strengthen governance and institutional frameworks in basic education and primary health care administration across the country. Hassan questioned the continuity of past reform efforts, referencing the predecessor programme SFTAS, and asked whether governments merely collected incentives without implementing lasting changes. He urged state governments to reform their systems as a prerequisite for attracting further support from multilateral institutions. Hassan commended the Enugu State Government for instituting significant reforms in basic education and primary health care. The World Bank Task Team Lead for the programme, Mr. Ikechukwu Nweje, said the Programme for Result (PforR) model was adopted to build state workforce capacity and ensure reform sustainability. He affirmed the bank's commitment to providing technical support, with the National Programme Coordination Unit also engaging consultants to bolster assistance. The event was inaugurated by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, representing Governor Dr. Peter Mbah.
Dr. Assad Hassan questions whether past reforms under SFTAS led to lasting change, yet celebrates Enugu's current reforms without linking them to that same accountability standard. If incentives from previous programmes were spent without measurable follow-through, Enugu's present reforms cannot be taken as proof of systemic improvement. Nigerians in the South-east are expected to trust renewed interventions despite no audit of earlier outcomes. The cycle risks repeating if today's praised reforms also dissolve when funding shifts elsewhere.
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