The Anambra State Government has inaugurated a 12-member World Bank’s Community Social Development Agency to access and manage the $380 million provided by the World Bank for 27 states participating in Community and Social Development Projects.
The State Governor, Willie Obiano, who inaugurated the agency at Governor’s Lodge Amawbia, charged the members to employ global standards in utilising the fund to ensure socio-economic transformation of rural communities across the state.
The Governor, who expressed happiness that the state had met all requirements for accessing the fund, expressed optimism that the fund would promote the realisation of the state government’s Community Choose Your Project Initiative.
He directed the agency to ensure that projects embarked upon conformed to the World Bank’s specified standards.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr. Mark Okoye, commended Governor Obiano for granting approval for the state to key into the programme.
Also, the chairman of the agency and Traditional Ruler of Nteje, Chief Roland Odegbo, thanked the governor for appointing them to serve the state and assured the people that members of the agency would live up to their expectations.
The Community and Social Development Project is assisted by the World Bank and co-financed by federal and state governments with an aim of tackling challenges of poverty through success stories of past community development driven interventions.
Anambra had already contributed its yearly counterpart fund of N50 million and also recruited staff to ensure implementation of the state projects.
The inauguration of the agency is the last prerequisite set by the bank for accessing the fund.
Members of the agency were drawn from the traditional institutions, civil society groups, youth and women bodies and experts in the field.
