Ajaokuta, Okehi, Idah and Omala Local Government Areas cannot benefit from the Kogi State Community and Social Development Agency (KGSCSDA) World Bank-assisted programmes.
The General Manager of KGSCSDA, Mr. James Odiba, who stated this at a press briefing in Lokoja, said local government areas that want to benefit from the Agency’s programmes will have to pass the local government bye-laws, adding that the four local governments were yet to do so.
Mr. Odiba who noted that the state projects would attract five million dollars from the World Bank and 100 million naira contribution annually from the Kogi State Government, said communities that would benefit must constitute review committees that would consist of stakeholders for balanced opinion on their needs.
The project, which he said is a new intervention, would build on the Community-based Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP) structure to effectively target social and environmental infrastructure at the community level and improve local government responsibility to service delivery.
According to him, the five – year Community and Social Development Project (CSDP), which is in its implementation stage, is expected to give birth to many community development plans that will pass through a project cycle.
Such micro-projects, once approved by the agency would be implemented one after the other in accordance with approved plan.
Meanwhile, “unless the first micro-project selected for implementation is successfully completed, grants shall not be released by the agency for other projects”, he added.
He stated that fundable micro-projects which are socio-economic infrastructure, environmental and natural resources-related activities and social safety nets, would attract each benefiting community’s counterpart contribution of five to 10 per cent into the Community Project Management Committee’s (CPMCs) account after approval.
In her contribution, the project officer, Gender and vulnerability, Mrs. Stella Adejoh, said the programme would ensure that women and other vulnerable groups have adequate voice in project selection and implementation.