The Acting General Manager, Kwara State Community and Social Development Agency, Alhaji Yahaya Ahmed, has disclosed that the agency has accessed over N600 million from the World Bank for community and social development projects.
Ahmed said that access to the grant was facilitated through the mandatory payment of N50m by the state government in 2015, adding that the agency could access additional N800 million grant from the Breton Woods institution if another N50 million approved in December 2017 by the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed is cash-backed.
Making these disclosures during his media chat in Ilorin at the sidelines of the presentation of cheques to 16 communities in the state, the community development expert listed Igbo-Owu, Ahun, Owode-Ofaro, Ijomu-Oro, Idi-Ose, Gulufu, Gedeworo, Ifedawapo, Oke-Agbede, Oloro-Oja, Eleko, Elega, and Aladere Magaji, Lata-Nna, Oluode-Aluwo and Oke-Atan as the beneficiary communities.
Ahmed explained that the first tranche of the cheques worth N34 million was disbursed to the communities during the occasion out of the total grant of N83 million planned to be disbursed.
While promising that more communities will also be presented with their cheques this month, Ahmed said that so far the agency had reached 104 communities of the state over the last two years with 176 micro projects out of which 99 has been completed.
According to him, 78 are still ongoing in the sectors of education, water, health, rural electricity, environment and socio-economic. This is even as he hinted that 16 community developments plans had been completed.
He explained: “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”, he added.
The State governor, represented by the Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development, Alhaji Wasiu Odewale, said the payment of mandatory N50 million and approval for the release of another N50 million 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.
