President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the World Bank for unfolding a package which would see it spending 2.1 billion dollars in rebuilding ravaged North-eastern part of Nigeria occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency.
The President made the commendation on Tuesday at a meeting in Washington DC with representatives of the bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He, however, noted that apart from rebuilding the region in terms of infrastructure, priority must also be given to the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who now number over one million.
President Buhari urged the World Bank to send a team, which would work in concert with a team from the Federal Government, so that a proper assessment of needs could be done.
The World Bank would spend the 2.1 billion dollars through its IDA (International Development Agency), which gives low interest rates loans to government.
The first 10 years will be interest-free, while an additional 30 years will be at lower than capital market rate.
It was gathered that the World Bank was eager to move in quickly and give out the loans in order to give succor to the people of North-East.
Meanwhile, WHO is also to invest 300 million dollars on immunisation against malaria in Nigeria, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will collaborate with Dangote Foundation to ensure that the country maintains its zero polio case record of the past one year.
“If the effort is sustained for another two years, Nigeria will be declared fully free of polio,’’ NAN quoted a Presidential source on Buhari’s entourage to the U.S. as saying. (NAN) Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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They have come with tribalism... is that money for North East alone... I have come to realize that this man is not bringing any change in Nigeria... Rather than ethnic tribalism.. Nonsense person
ReplyDeleteJonathan fail to clip the wings of the northern part of the country now all the regions will pay for it especially the south west
ReplyDeleteHow much was spent to rebuild South East after the civil war?
ReplyDeleteIt is one thing to express appreciation to your creditors and yet another to payback with interest. Witness the case of Greece.OTHER Nigerians should not be seen as bearing the cross of the failure of northern leaders to deliver on their mandate. Education is the sine qua non of human development and by extension infrastructural development. We cannot continue since before independence to be the meal ticket of northern Nigeria!
ReplyDelete