By Jennifer Y Omiloli
Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Edo State Governor, will chair the Nigeria Governors ‘ Forum (NGF) committee that will engage with relevant government agencies and find ways to access a $750 million grant from the World Bank.
Obaseki, who disclosed this on arrival at Benin Airport after a series of meetings in Abuja, said the grant was approved for $750 million, adding that the disbursement will begin soon.
He said the grant from the World Bank to the 36 states of Nigeria would help improve democracy, transparency and the physical environment, noting, “There is a World Bank Support for states and the Governors’ Forum asked me to chair a committee that will interact with relevant agencies; Ministry of Finance, the World Bank and the Auditor-General’s Office, to see how we can ensure that the facility is well utilised.
“The grant has been approved; we are at the disbursement stage. But there are conditions that must be met before the money can be assessed by the states in the next four years. We are very hopeful that by the end of the year, we will be clear as to when the disbursement will occur,” he said.
The governor added that the Edo government won’t have a problem accessing the grant.
