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The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has received a financial boost of $5.6 million from the World Bank for the procurement of various items, including office stationery, furniture, solar inverters, office equipment, and vehicles.
These approvals were granted under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project, initiated in 2018. The funds were directed to the Home Finance Department of the federal ministry.
While the SFTAS project officially concluded in 2022, ongoing project implementation continues, as revealed in documents obtained by PUNCH from the World Bank.
The SFTAS project, designed to enhance transparency and accountability at the sub-national level, received a total commitment of $1.5 billion in two batches of $750 million each, delivered in December 2018 and December 2020.
Although the funds are provided as grants to state governments, they are categorized as loans to the Federal Government. The procurement plan, covering February 2019 to August 2020, adheres to the World Bank’s Procurement Guidelines.
The Home Finance Department received allocations for various purposes, including $25,713 for office stationery and supplies, $39,357 for additional office equipment and supplies for the SFTAS Programme Coordinating Unit, and $64,190 for furnishing and equipping the SFTAS Public Service Institute space.
Notably, $4.78 million was allocated for providing spatial data to states, making it the largest approval. Other significant allocations include $409,638 for project vehicles and expenses related to video conferencing equipment and modems.
Out of the 21 proposed items, two were canceled, four were successfully completed, and one was under implementation. Three projects were pending implementation, while 11 projects were signed as of the December 2023 release of the document.
The World Bank's recent disclosure highlighted Nigeria as the leading recipient of its fresh loans in 2022, with approximately $2.9 billion released to the country.
