The Anambra State Government has come under criticism over its decision not to participate in the World Bank’s 2024 HOPE-Governance Programme and the Federal Government-backed NG-CARES Programme.
A public affairs analyst, Mr Kingsley Ubani, made the criticism while speaking with journalists in Awka, alleging inconsistencies in the state’s fiscal policy and development priorities.
Earlier this week, the Anambra State Government, through the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Christian Aburime, dismissed claims that it was excluded from the World Bank programme for failing to meet performance benchmarks.
The government, citing the World Bank’s Implementation Status and Results Report on Nigeria’s HOPE-Governance Programme, maintained that Anambra’s non-participation was a deliberate administrative decision rather than a sanction.
It also argued that the programme was a repayable loan facility and not a grant.
However, Ubani insisted that Anambra failed to qualify for the HOPE-Governance grant, a performance-based reform initiative designed to improve transparency, accountability and public service delivery in participating states.
According to him, the programme’s National Coordinator, Dr Assad Hassan, explained that states that did not benefit either failed to complete the required reforms before the deadline, did not meet key assessment criteria or failed to publish mandatory documents on their official websites.
Ubani noted that while states such as Enugu, Imo and Abia qualified for the programme, Anambra and Ebonyi were not among the beneficiaries. He alleged that the state government had incorrectly described the facility as a loan rather than a grant.
The analyst also criticised the state’s decision to opt out of the NG-CARES Programme, a World Bank-supported intervention financed through a Federal Government loan to provide assistance to farmers, small businesses, vulnerable households and essential social services.
He recalled that Governor Chukwuma Soludo defended the decision by citing concerns over the loan’s repayment conditions and the administration’s policy of avoiding long-term debt obligations.
“Anambra’s withdrawal from the programme prevented the state from participating in the independent verification process required for performance-based reimbursements, and as a result, the state did not benefit when the Federal Government later disbursed funds to participating states.
“This decision deprived eligible residents of financial support available to beneficiaries in other states,” he said.
Ubani further questioned what he described as a contradiction between the government’s decision to reject the NG-CARES Programme on fiscal grounds and its plan to construct a second airport in the state, which he claimed would cost about ₦70 billion despite the existing airport being underutilised.
He urged the state government to provide greater clarity on its policy decisions and spending priorities, arguing that the perceived inconsistencies should be adequately explained to the people of Anambra State.
