Ekiti state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday said the state has gained from World Bank the execution of over 630 life-changing micro projects in all the 133 communities across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Fayemi said the projects, which he said were at various stages are undertaken through the Ekiti State Community and Social Development Agency (EKCSDA) in partnership with the World Bank in the last one and half years of his administration.
The Governor, represented by the Chairman of the agency, Mr. Yemi Alatise, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ workshop on the report and outcome evaluation exercise organised by the agency in Ado-Ekiti.
He said the projects, are part of the giant strides of his government towards alleviating the level of poverty in the rural areas.
Fayemi who expressed the readiness of his administration to continually assist the agency in providing counterpart funds as demanded, noted that several life-changing projects that will bring more dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots are in the pipeline for the populace as embedded in the 2020 budget.
He said arrangement has been concluded by the agency with the chief executives of local governments and community leaders in all the 16 councils, to assist the agency on how to maintain and sustain various projects executed by the EKCDSP in their various localities.
“The government will continue to make funds available, all what the communities need is to tap into the various windows created by the government to ensure that the developmental projects they want in the community are achieved.
“EKCSDP has been able to build more than 150 health centres and equipped them with modern health facilities, it has also provided science and laboratory equipments in some schools in the rural areas. We want to assure you that the agency will continue function properly without interference”, he stated.
A Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof. Okunlola Olaniyi, said the programme organised by EKCSDP, was aimed to evaluate several developmental projects executed by the agency across the state.
The Don called on the beneficial communities to assist the government in maintaining and sustaining various micro projects executed by the agency in their localities.
The Ekiti State’s Statistician General, Mr. Jide Oguntimehin, disclosed that statistics have shown that various projects executed by the agency in the last few years in the state had gradually reduced poverty in the rural areas.
He stressed the need for the members of the benefitting communities to assist the agency by paying their counterpart funds at appropriate time.
“Payment of counterpart funds would not only ensure continuity in the projects of EKCSDP, but would encourage more dividends of democracy at the grassroots”, he said
