Over 16,000 To Benefit From $20m COVID-19 Funds In Benue

A Over 16,000 persons across the 23 local government areas of Benue State are to benefit from the $20 million provided to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups and communities across the state.

The general manager, Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) Engr. James Aboho disclosed this in a welcome address during the Basic Service (DLI 1.4) pre Implementation training of Community Project Management Committee (CPMC) among others for effective take off of the programme at the various communities.

“We are implementing this programme in all the 23 LGs areas across the state, and we are targeting 16,250 people in this basic services and the total funding for the whole project is $20 million with a life span of two years. The  criteria for the selection of benefitting communities is the poorest of the poor communities,” he said, adding that the project’s key areas of target are education, health and water.

Aboho also disclosed that each community would get a minimum of N12 million for the implementation of the project of their interest.

“ The first procedure for the programme is expression of interest where affected communities express their interest by  writing to the agency after which the agency will go for community assessment, participatory  rural appraisal and after the LG desk appraisal the agency will also do field appraisal before inviting those CPMC for training. After this training we will visit the communities for projects launch and presentation of checks for onwards implementation of the projects,” he said.

Declaring the training open, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Peter Ochijele, said the programme was being funded by the World Bank in collaboration with the federal and Benue State governments to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups and communities across the state.