Nigeria Seeks World Bank Approval to Restructure $650 Million Child Health Loan
The Federal Republic of Nigeria is seeking approval from the World Bank to restructure a substantial $650 million loan allocated for the Nigeria Improved Child Survival Program for Human Capital (ICSPHC). This move, detailed in a “Restructuring Paper” accessed by Nairametrics, is part of a broader strategy to enhance the country’s child health initiatives.
The ICSPHC program, a key element of Nigeria’s health sector reform, aims to significantly reduce the under-five mortality rate from 132 per 1,000 births in 2018 to 79 per 1,000 by 2030. The proposed restructuring follows a mid-term review that highlighted the need for strategic adjustments to align the project with the government’s evolving health reform agenda, particularly focusing on child and maternal health.
According to the Restructuring Paper, the proposed Level-two restructuring of the Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services Project (IMPACT P167156), the initial phase of the ICSPHC’s Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA), will include several key changes.
