Governors to access World Bank’s $500m fund

Governors of the 36 states of the Federation on Tuesday got briefing on how to access $500 million fund from the World Bank.

The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health briefed the governors on how to access the $500 million for human development at the old Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF),

Abdulaziz Yari , spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the session.

The governors were also briefed by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Emmanuel Ibe Kachukwu, other government agencies and international organizations.

Yari said: “There are funds from the World Bank which states cannot access because we don’t know how to move it forwards as a result of lack of expertise. Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health briefed us on how we can access the $500 million in that area. Secondly, we use to complain about the NNPC, but with the fact we have got today it is different in the sense that the NNPC is going to be a different organisation.

“It is going to fund the economy fully in the sense that there won’t be any question of pipeline breaking or the stealing of oil. We have taken care of that especially. Instead of using the military only, why don’t we use technology to safeguard our pipelines.”

He went on: “Today, this meeting with heads of so many agencies which made presentations to us. Some of them were ordered by Mr. President to do the presentation so as to make us understand where they are and what they are up to.

“We are supposed to take eight but because of the time constraints, we are only able to take three. We have taken United Nations Population Fund, we have taken the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health on human development.

“And we have also taken the GMD of NNPC. By November we would take those that we are not able to take such as National Mathematical Centre and the National Communication Commission on the issue of digitalization and also NASENI.

“We decided to stand those ones down till November. This is for the betterment of Nigeria. They have briefed us about the way forward.”