- World Bank Releases N600m Grant to Kwara Community
The Acting General Manager, Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency, Alhaji Yahaya Ahmed, says the agency has accessed over N600m from the World Bank for community and social development projects.
He added that the grant was facilitated through the mandatory payment of N50m by the state government in 2015.
Ahmed said if another N50m approved by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State in December was cash-backed, the agency could access about N800m from the World Bank for projects.
He spoke with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday on the sidelines of the presentation of cheques to 16 communities in the state.
The benefiting communities, according to him, are Igbo-Owu, Ahun, Owode-Ofaro, Ijomu-Oro, Idi-Ose, Gulufu, Gedeworo, Ifedawapo, Oke-Agbede, Oloro-Oja, Eleko, Elega, and Aladere Magaji.
He listed other benefitting communities to include: Lata-Nna, Oluode-Aluwo and Oke-Atan.
He stated that the benefiting communities were in Ifelodun, Irepodun, Moro, Edu, Ilorin West, Asa, Patigi, Offa and Oyun Local Government Areas.
Ahmed stated that the first tranche of the cheques worth N34m were disbursed to the benefiting 16 communities during the occasion, adding that a total grant of N83m would be disbursed.
According to him, the remaining communities will also be presented with their cheques from January.
He said the agency was presently in 104 communities of the state from 2016.
Ahmed said, “The state upgraded the poverty map of the state, which has been approved by the governor. From the ranking of LGs, it was also approved that we should commence our activities from eight LGs. We have three in Kwara North (Edu, Moro and Kaiama); two in Kwara Central (Ilorin West and Asa LGs) and three in Kwara South (Offa, Oke-iro and Isin LGA). Those are the poorest LGs in terms of infrastructural development.
“The CSDP commenced operations in Nigeria in 2009, with 26 states including Kwara State and the Federal Capital Territory participating in the scheme. The first phase of this project however closed in 2013. Following the significant impact of this scheme in all the participating states in Nigeria many more states have joined the race such as Sokoto, Borno, Kaduna and Ogun while Anambra is still struggling to join the project.
“The KWCSDA has intervened in 104 communities across the 16 LGAs of the state with 176 micro projects out of which 99 has been completed while 78 are still ongoing in the sectors of education, water, health, rural electricity, environment and socio-economic. Fifteen community developments plans have been fully completed.”
The Kwara State governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Alhaji Wasiu Odewale, said the payment of mandatory N50m and approval for the release of another N50m by the state government even during the current economic challenges exemplified the governor’s commitment and contribution for rural communities to benefit from the project.
