By Lucy Ogalue
Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum, has commended the African Development Bank (AfDB) for implementing 65.75 million dollars Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) in the state.
Zulum gave the commendation when he visited the Director-General, Nigeria Country Department of AfDB, Mr Lamin Barrow, in Abuja.
According to the governor, the programme will ameliorate the effects of insurgency in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme is aimed at improving the people’s quality of life by increasing access of the internally displaced population to basic social services.
The services include water, sanitation, hygiene, health and education; livelihood opportunities; food security, and strengthened safety net systems to facilitate the reintegration of the displaced populations.
The programme also focuses on reintegrating the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Psychosocial support, peacebuilding, environment, climate change, and gender equality interventions are mainstreamed in all components of the Programme.
Zulum said: “first and foremost, I want to commend the bank on the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the IBSDLEIP in Borno.”
“The insurgency in Borno has triggered acute humanitarian and livelihood crises, devastating economic activities of our populace.”
“An outcome of the recovery and peace building assessment of the impact of insurgency revealed that we lost over 6.7 billion dollars to insurgency within the region out of which Borno accounts for two third of this amount.
“Implementation of the programme has helped us in addressing some of the humanitarian, livelihoods and infrastructure problems arising from Boko Haram Insurgency in the State.”
The Governor, who attributed the root cause of the insurgency in the state to poverty and lack of basic infrastructure said his administration was doing a lot to address these challenges.
Zulum expressed the readiness of the state to abide by all set rules and regulations of the bank that would enable speedy implementation of the project.
“We are ready to abide by the project procurement processes and implementation guidelines of the bank.
“We are also committed to working with the bank’s team and other stakeholders to ensure the completion of the project,” he said.
Responding, AfDB’s Director-General expressed the continued commitment of the bank to support the reintegration of the displaced population in the state and improving the livelihoods of the people.
“We want to commend the governor for his visionary and hands-on leadership style.
“We reassure him and the state of the commitment and continued support of the bank in improving the livelihoods and quality of life of the people of Borno. ”
The Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) is currently being implemented in the North East states of Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba.
Borno has so far achieved appreciable progress in delivering the key objectives of the Programmp.
The total number of project beneficiaries in Borno from Component I (provision of basic services in WASH, Education and Health) is 1,582,431.
While under Component II (provision of livelihood opportunities), 8,807 people have been empowered through various training and support. (NAN)
Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams
