By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
In a renewed effort to enhance public service efficiency and align with global best practices, the Federal Government has commenced a five-day capacity-building workshop focused on the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF) under the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project.
The training, organized through a collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, targets staff across the three implementing ministries. It is being held at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Abuja Centre, on July 9, 2025.
In her opening remarks, the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Suleiman Ibrahim, represented by the National Coordinator of SPESSE, Dr. Benjamin Okwesa, urged participants to leverage the opportunity to obtain certification through the Social Standards online programme.
“This initiative is not just about training, but about transforming how we deliver services to vulnerable groups across the country,” she said. “It is aimed at equipping our workforce with the knowledge and tools necessary to address critical issues such as gender-based violence, displacement, poor labour conditions, and social risks in communities.”
The SPESSE project, which is supported by the World Bank, seeks to strengthen institutional capacities in procurement, environmental, and social standards. It includes the development of certification programmes to ensure that practitioners meet international benchmarks in their respective sectors.
Highlighting the increasing need for capacity building in social development sectors, Hon. Ibrahim emphasized that the certification portal developed for the Social Standards Node is currently being used to accredit professionals across the six designated Centres of Excellence.
The training, anchored by the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), is expected to build a foundation for sustainable and inclusive service delivery across ministries.
