The World Bank has disbursed N529 million for execution of development projects in 54 rural communities in Borno.
Mr Chiroma Usman, Programme Manager, Community and Social Development Programme (CSDP), made this known on Friday during the disbursement of the funds at the Government House, Maiduguri.
Usman said that the benefiting communities are located in Bayo, Jere, Kaga, Konduga, Maiduguri and Magumeri Local Government Areas of the state.
He said that the projects would be executed under the Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP), and Community-Based Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP).
Usman listed the projects to include water, health, education, environment, shelter and livelihood support services.
“CSDP has so far disbursed N659 million to communities under its various programmes in the past two years.
“Some 46 communities participated under the Community Driven Investment (CDI); 24 benefited from Group Driven Investment (GDI) while 149 others under Micro Project Scheme (MPS),” he said.
According to him, the participating communities were selected based on poverty prevalence index and other criteria set out by the bank.
Usman added that fund were disbursed to the communities based on the need assessment exercise, to enable them to execute projects of their choice, to improve their social and economic wellbeing.
The CSDP manager said that the project had encouraged enrolment and retention in schools, reduce infant and maternal mortality rate, reduced water-borne diseases and encouraged growth of small enterprises.
He said that other achievements of the programme included construction of access roads to ease movement of farm produce to the markets as well as flood, erosion and desertification control.
The state deputy governor, Alhaji Usman Kadafur, said the gesture would go a long way to improve the social and economic wellbeing of the people in the state.
Kadafur reiterated government’s commitments to collaborate with the bank and other development organisations to facilitate execution of viable projects in the state.
