Insurgency: Bauchi governor worried over gap in infrastructure funding for North East

Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir has lamented that despite efforts of government and the loan facility allocation of $44.83m by the FG/ AfDB for the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP), there is still a huge gap in funding to address the devastating impact of the insurgency in the North-East subregion alone.

The governor also lamented over the huge gap in funding infrastructures destroyed by insurgency in the North East region.

Bala Mohammed made the lamentation on Monday at the Mid-term Review Meeting of the Federal Government and African Development Bank (FG, AFDB) Financed Inclusive Basic Service delivery and livelihood empowerment integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) held at the Yankari Resort and Safari, Bauchi.

The governor who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim said that “Not to talk of already existing poor socio-economic conditions; this becomes more daunting if the current deteriorating and precarious economic situations continue.”

He, however, urged the stakeholders to make useful decisions at  the Midterm review meeting that will not only address programmatic issues and challenges, “But also consider the possibility of providing more funding to North-East particularly Bauchi State.” 

Earlier, a representative of AfDB, Mr John Sifuwa, said that the projects were aimed at improving life in communities in the North-East that are devastated by the act of insurgency over the years.

He also said that the bank was executing projects in Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba and Borno states, adding that the time frame for the projects had been extended by two years.

He explained that the initial three years time frame began in 2019 adding that the review meeting would enable the participants to exchange ideas and suggest ways of improving on project implementation.

On his part, the Project Manager of the African Development Bank (AFDB) in Bauchi State, Malam Garba Magaji said that the ongoing developmental projects it is executing in some parts of Bauchi State have reached 85 per cent completion stage.

Garba Magaji explained that the Bank had set aside N181 million for the ongoing projects in Bauchi, Azare in Katagum Local Government Area (LGA), Dagauda in Dambam LGA, Duguri in Alkaleri LGA and Mashema in Itas/Gadau LGA.

He said that the projects are on water supply and sanitation, education and health, youth empowerment and employment generation, and added that the bank would ensure their timely completion.

He also said that the amount spent on the projects was part of the soft credit facility with a moratorium of eight years for repayment.

The project manager said that AFDB would execute more projects to cover other areas of need with the aim of making life better for the communities.

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