World Bank, Agency Spend N705m On Poverty Alleviation

Yobe Agency for Community and Social Development, a joint programme of the state and World Bank, spent N705 million on projects targeted at poverty reduction across the state since 2009.

Alhaji Goni Babagana, Programme Manager said on Saturday in Damaturu that the projects covered education, roads, water and health, among others.

He said the agency provided education infrastructure and instructional materials to encourage enrolment among the youth across the state.

“I am happy to say that enrolment of boys into primary schools rose from 41 to 184 per cent while that of girls improved from 29 to 174 percent.

“The intervention of the agency in the water sector has grossly reduced the problems of water scarcity in the rural communities.

“We have raised the population of those having access to water in the rural communities,’’ he said.

The Manager said Yobe government contributed N400 million to the programme.

Goni promised that the agency would judiciously use the funds according to the World Bank’s guidelines for the benefit of the rural communities.

“With the payment of this amount, rural dwellers in the state will have improved standard of living with poverty reduction programmes.’’