W/Bank offers FG N27.58bn for community projects.

The World Bank on Wednesday said it would soon start the disbursement of $140m (N27.58bn) under its assisted Community and Social Development Project to 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The bank, in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to our correspondent, said about $200m (N39.4bn) had been disbursed under the first phase of the project, thus bringing the total amount provided under the programme to $340m (N66.98bn)

It said states that would benefit from the additional financing would focus on the most vulnerable households in poor communities in the country.

Anambra, Kaduna and Sokoto states, it added, are also set to participate in the additional financing.

The statement said the additional financing was expected to fund micro-project facilities such as rehabilitation and construction of school class rooms, health centres and clinics and skills acquisition.

Others are rural electrification, rural transport, community water schemes, community housing schemes and rural market infrastructure.

It gave a list of vulnerable groups that would also benefit from special grants as internally displaced poor persons, marginalised or chronically poor households, widows and the physically challenged.

The statement also quoted the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, Foluso Okunmadewa, as saying, “This project will not only help vulnerable people in the short term, including those in conflict-affected areas, but will also help build and rebuild long-lasting partnership between local governments and communities. In addition, it will help integrate communities as well as make smart investments in people for the future.

“The first phase of the World Bank funding of the Community Social Development Project, which benefited over 5,600 communities and about two million people in 26 states of the federation, was fully disbursed by December 2014.”