The Federal Government and the World Bank have commenced a $380 million (N55 billion) community and social development scheme, which would cover 23 states of the country.

The scheme, which targets poverty alleviation in the rural areas, will commence immediately in 18 states. They are

Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara.

Five other states that did not meet the deadline of March ending 2009, are to be accommodated soon.

The project is expected to span six years. While the World Bank is committing $200 million (N29 billion) to the scheme, the Federal Government and rural communities are expected to meet up with a counterpart funding of $180 million (N26 billion).

Speaking in Abuja yesterday at the Federal Ministry of Finance technical launching of the of the scheme, the Acting World Bank Country Director, Dr. Simon Ehui, described the project as an initiative to sustainably increase access of poor people to social and natural resources infrastructure service.

Ehui expressed the need to pay special attention to issues like management for development results and outcomes; managing fiduciary risks- financial management; procurement and environmental and social safeguards; political interference in projects; transparency and trusts.

To maintain the efficacy of the project, he said the team should strengthen its upstream review of the scheme to ensure high quality design and its readiness for implementation, undertake closer monitoring for implementation and time resolutions, among others.

According to him, the scheme is one of our flagship projects to further the gains of the earlier successful community driven development initiatives in the country.

He added: "This project is a major instrument for achieving the Bank's poverty reduction objective in rural Nigeria. The project is funded to the tune of $200 million over a six year period."

However, the six year period considered for the project might be reduced to three years considering the enthusiasm displayed by some of the states who had already met with the terms of the project.

The Director International Economic Relations of the Ministry, Mr. Biodun Alao, said the execution of the project commenced in November 2008 between the Federal Government and International Development Association, based on articulation of a number of interventions and technical support, as a target towards developing the communities.

He explained that the project has three components, while participating communities would spell out the needs in their areas, in line with the seven-point agenda of President Umaru Yar'Adua, adding that the initiative provided for establishment of institutional arrangements at federal, state and local governments.

The components are the Federal coordination and support, state/local government agency capacity building and social community driven investments.

According to him, successes recorded from both community based poverty reduction project and local empowerment and environmental project have strongly justified that there is immense opportunities for community development adoption as a tool for poverty reduction.

The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Peter Papka, enjoined the benefiting communities to actively participate in the implementation and monitoring of the project, to promote accountability and faithful completion of the project.

Source: Guardian