11m Nigerians benefit from $415m World Bank financing in 11 years

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About 11 million Nigerians across the federation have benefited from the $415 million World Bank supported Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) programme implemented between 2009 and 2021.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajiya Umar Farouq disclosed this, at the CSDP closeout event in Abuja, yesterday. She said the CSDP initiative has reached 11 million direct beneficiaries and an estimated 25 million indirect beneficiaries across 29 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

She noted that through the community-driven approach, about 16,166 micro-projects in health, education, transportation, electrification, and community-housing scheme were implemented in 5,664 communities and 934 vulnerable groups across 543 Local Government Areas of 29 states and the FCT.

She said that other projects implemented during the period include 5,764 classrooms, 1,323 health centres and 4,442 water micro projects.

“This points to the fact that devolving implementation power to the communities has intrinsic propensity to accelerate poverty reduction and recovery of the economy from crises. CSDP projects across the country have records of very good maintenance and sustainability,” she said.

World Bank Country Director Shubam Chaudhuri said: “This really is our aspiration in the World Bank, to help Nigeria build durable, sustainable physically and institutionally programmes and platforms that are critical to realising President Muhammadu Buhari’s ambition and aspiration of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.”

Representative of the Permanent Secretary Lorwa Apera noted that the project touched vulnerable people across the participating states in spectacular ways. Apera, who is also the National Coordinator of the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO), said the CSDP project has a well-trained staff on social protection at both the federal and state level. According to him, the structures created in all the states are key to achieving target of the President.

Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi in his keynote address said the huge success achieved through the CSDP has proved the age-long truism that development can only be achieved through the people.