Developmental Projects: Kwara to Secure $85.4m Grant from World Bank

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

The Kwara State Government yesterday hinted that arrangement has been finalised to secure over $85.4m grant from the World Bank to bring more dividends of democracy to the doorsteps of the rural populace in the state.

The state commissioner for Finance, Dr. Awwal Nuru dropped the hint in Ilorin during the first quarter 2025 inter ministerial press briefing organised by the State Ministry of Communications.

She said: “Though, the World Bank has yet to release the funds to the state government but the state government has met the needed conditions to obtain the grant from the World Bank”.

She explained that, “The granting of the grant to the state was based on the performances of the state on the N- Cares intervention projects in the state”.

She pointed out that, “the government has committed a lot of money as counterpart fund to the N-Cares, a World Bank intervention projects and this has assisted the World Bank to compensate the state government for the grant”.

Nuru opined that by the time the money is released to the government, it will have direct impact on the socio-economic development of the people, especially those residing at the rural areas of the state.

“Like I said the fund is yet to be released to Kwara State Government but the World Bank has finalised plans to grant the government a sum of $84.5m.

“Kwara is not the only state that would benefit from the grant. All the states that performed in the World Bank N-Cares intervention projects would also benefit from the grant.

“It is not a secret affair. It is on the World bank website for the beneficiary states in Nigeria. This support is based on the performance index of Kwara state on the N-Cares projects and other states in the country”, Duru noted.

Nuru also said that, the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state has increased from N21billion to N25billion during the first quarter of the year.

She said the state government is committed to transparency in the governance and would not indulge on any expenses that would not pass through due process in the state.

Duru also said the government has paid all the dues meant for pensioners after they have completed all the necessary guidelines needed to get their pensions in the state.

She also used the event to laud local government councils in the state for embarking on meaningful projects capable of enhancing the socio-economic development of the rural populace in the state.