World Bank to spend N600m on community projects in Niger

THE World Bank is spending N600 million in 2011 on the execution of development projects in rural communities in Niger State under its community assistance programme.

The programme’s Project Manager, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, made the announcement at the presentation of cheques to Owo-she, Zigbodo and Ungwan Zare communities in Shiroro and Gurara Local Government Areas of the state.

He said the communities were part of the 60 communities that were expected to benefit from the scheme.

Abubakar said the projects included roads, hospitals and clinics, boreholes and classroom blocks.

He said for any community to benefit from the scheme, it must select its projects and contribute 10 per cent of the cost, while the World Bank would provide the balance of 90 per cent.

Abubakar said the communities must adhere to the approved guidelines on the execution of the projects, stressing that the projects would be strictly monitored to ensure that the beneficiaries got value for their money.

He urged the benefiting communities to imbibe the culture of embarking on self-help projects, since government alone could not meet all their aspirations owing to competing needs and paucity of funds.

The Village Head of Owo-she, Alhaji Sarki Mohammed, commended the World Bank and the co-ordinators of the scheme for the assistance, and promised that the money would be judiciously utilised.

Source : Guardian