SPESSE graduates taken at the SPESSE center of excellence in the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Credit: Prof. Lami A. Nnamonu.
Nigeria’s ambition to diversify its economy and accelerate inclusive growth hinges on one critical element: building the right skills for the jobs of tomorrow. The Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project is central to this transformation, strengthening institutional capacity and training a new generation of professionals in sustainable procurement, and environmental and social risk management.
Why Nigeria Needs Stronger Standards—and Skilled Professionals to Uphold Them
The economy of Nigeria has grown at an average annual growth rate of 3.7 in 2023-2024 (GDP at $242 billion in 2024) and is among the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa1. Yet over 46%2 of its population lives in poverty. Weak public procurement systems contribute to inflated contract costs and corruption, while inadequate environmental and social (E&S) standards exacerbate climate vulnerabilities, conflict and gender inequalities.
Ranked 154 out of 185 on the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index, Nigeria faces escalating climate risks such as flooding, droughts, and desertification. These challenges disproportionately affect women and youth, exacerbating social and economic instability.
Since its launch in 2020, the SPESSE project has trained over 40,000 participants—43% of them women—in procurement, environmental management, and social standards. Yet demand remains high, with over 25,000 government staff and 29,000 private firms still in need of training to build and strengthen Nigeria’s governance and development systems.
Now with $65 million in additional financing approved, the SPESSE project is scaling up—and its impacts on Nigeria’s sustainable development agenda is becoming stronger than ever.
Building Human Capital for In-Demand Jobs
At its core, SPESSE is about professionalization and capacity development. Through its Centers of Excellence in federal universities, the project trains thousands of Nigerians in high demand areas—procurement, environmental management, and social standards. These are not just administrative skills; they are strategic competencies that improve service delivery, attract investment, and ensure responsible development.
By scaling up these training and certification programs, the project is helping to close the current skills gap and connect young Nigerians to formal employment opportunities in emerging sectors.
Transforming Procurement Through Digital Innovation
One of SPESSE’s most transformative components is the rollout of an Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system at the federal level. This digital platform:
- Streamline procurement processes
- Reduces red tape and
- Improves transparency and accountability.
More importantly, it opens doors for small businesses, women-owned enterprises, and underrepresented groups. By digitizing procurement, Nigeria can create more jobs in tech, compliance and contract management, while fostering entrepreneurship.
Strengthening Government Institutions
By building capacity in agencies like the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the SPESSE is helping create and sustain public sector jobs. These roles—ranging from procurement analysts to environmental management specialists to social compliance officers—are vital to ensuring public funds are spent efficiently and sustainably. As environmental and social standards become embedded in project planning and delivery, both government and private organizations will require certified professionals, ensuring long-term demand for these roles.
Fostering Sustainability and Innovation
SPESSE is not just about training individuals, it is about building systems. Through investments in certification programs, policy reform, online learning platforms, and monitoring and independent evaluation, the project is laying the foundation for a self-sustaining ecosystem of professional standards in Nigeria. These mechanisms increase the project’s adaptability, long-term impact and accountability—while positioning Nigeria to attract future investments in job creation and governance.
Expected Impacts of Additional Financing
With $65 million in additional financing now approved, the SPESSE project is scaling up to achieve an even greater impact:
- 14,000 new certified experts in procurement, environment, and social standards
- Enhanced procurement efficiency, with potential savings of up to $75 million annually
- Reduced corruption and faster execution of government contracts
- Strengthened climate and gender inclusion, including support for women-led businesses and climate-resilient procurement
- Nationwide digital rollout of the e-GP system
- Risk mitigation is also built in with stakeholder consultations, policy alignment, strict adherence to financial safeguards, and sustainable business models to withstand macroeconomic shocks
- Ongoing training and inter-agency coordination to close institutional capacity gaps.
Conclusion: Investing in People, Empowering a Nation
The SPESSE Additional Financing represents a critical step towards Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen governance, enhance procurement transparency, and improve environmental and social safeguards. While it may not be a conventional job creation program, SPESSE is investing in people, building institutions, and shaping Nigeria’s future workforce for development works.
As Nigeria continues its journey towards inclusive growth, projects like SPESSE show that investing in standards means investing in people. And that is the key to unlocking long-term prosperity. To learn more about SPESSE or explore training opportunities, visit https://www.spesse.edu.ng
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1 Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and World Development Indicators (the World Bank).
2 Matheus Buenoet all, Nigeria Development Update: Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth (English). Pg 6, Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group.
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