The World Bank has given the nod for Kogi state to enjoy 62 micro projects under the State Community and Social Development Agency (KSCSDA) for 2018.

Malam Dauda Momoh, General Manager of the agency, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lokoja that the projects were part of the Community Development Projects (CDPs) approved by the Bank for execution in the state.

He said each CDP has an envelope of about N10 million for a minimum of two micro projects, adding that 10 micro-projects were ongoing in the state before the further approval of 52 for this year.

He stated that the projects cut across areas like education, health, access roads, electricity and viewing centres in various communities based on their needs.

“CSDA is all about touching lives. It’s all about giving the poor a hope to live. That is what the project is all about.”

He said that it was in view of the importance and urgency to kick-start the projects after almost a year of inactivity that the agency held a stakeholders’ training during the week.

According to him, the training is aimed at sensitising the stakeholders on how the agency operates.

Momoh, however, pointed out that from 2019, the CSDA would intervene only in approved focal Local Government Areas against the former practice of covering all areas at once.

“Before, we used to intervene in all the local government areas but a new dimension has been introduced by the World Bank and in this case, we will intervene in seven focal LGAs to be approved by the state government at a time.”

He said that Gov. Yahaya Bello had approved seven LGAs selected from the three senatorial districts for intervention from 2019, but the sensitisation had to start immediately.

The seven LGAs for 2019 interventions including Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Okehi, Okene, Ijumu, Kogi and Olamaboro and they were selected using the state poverty map, adding that another set of seven LGAs would be approved for 2020.

He noted that the number of micro-projects for 2019 would be above 92 as against 62 for this year.

Momoh reiterated that efforts would be made to exploit the Additional Financing window for more interventions as it is expected to expire in 2020. (NAN)