The World Bank has announced plans to restructure the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project in Nigeria.
The project, launched with a funding of $200 million, has faced challenges in meeting its objectives and will undergo significant changes to improve its effectiveness
This is according to the implementation status & results report for the project, which was seen by TheWitness.
The project was approved on February 18, 2020, to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian skills development system to produce relevant skills for the formal and informal sectors.
Further findings by TheWitness revealed that out of the $200 million, only about $34.88 million has been released by the World Bank. Due to the poor performance of the project, the World Bank has not released more funds, which are tied to meeting certain project criteria.
The IDEAS project, which aimed at enhancing skills acquisition in Nigeria, has shown limited progress in several key areas over the past two years. Component 1 of the project, which focused on providing grants to federal and state colleges, was particularly affected, with unsatisfactory ratings due to incomplete workshop renovations and delayed equipment procurement. Component 2, targeting the training of master craftspersons and apprentices, also recorded slow progress. Although other project components showed some improvement, they were still limited in scale.
The report read:
In response to these setbacks, the World Bank’s restructuring of the project will involve significant adjustments. Some activities will be completed, while others will be cancelled.
A notable change is the introduction of a results-based contracting fund, which will concentrate on providing scalable and cost-effective skills training for Nigerian youth. This initiative aims to link trainees with employers, ensuring their placement in wage employment or supporting self-employment opportunities.
The restructuring process, expected to be finalised by March 2024, will also see a revision of the results framework. This includes modifying the intermediate indicators and their targets.
The restructured project will emphasise results-based contracting with both private and public service providers. These providers will be responsible for training and finding job placements for youth on a large scale, with new results indicators and targets developed to match this revised approach.
The report read:
This move by the World Bank is seen as a critical step towards addressing the scalability and sustainability issues that have hindered the project’s success.
The focus on results-based solutions and the adaptation of the project’s framework demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that the significant investment in Nigeria’s skills development yields tangible results.
