IDB wants more push to fast track it’s intervention in North
NAN-HE-14
Economy
Maiduguri, Sept. 14, 2017(NAN) The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) said on Thursday that it required additional push from the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) to fast track its numerous economic intervention in the region.
IDB Vice President Dr Mansur Mukhtar disclosed this while receiving the Chairman of the forum Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno, on a courtesy visit at the headquarters of the bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mallam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser to Shettima on Communication and Strategy, stated this in a statement in Maiduguri.
Gusau explained that the governor’s visit was a follow-up to the earlier one by the forum in 2016.
“Shettima’s visit to the bank was the second.
He led a delegation of the NSGF to the bank’s headquarters on Jan. 31, 2016 and series of discussions that bothered on development cooperation with the bank taking steps to make different interventions in Northern Nigeria were held.
“The discussions were centered on tackling the general socio-economic issues of education, power supply, agriculture, poverty and maternal health, among other problems prevalent in the region,” he said.
Gusau added that Mukhtar was in response to the governor’s enquiries on the stage of the bank’s planned intervention in the region.
“The IDB Vice explained that the bank required stronger push by the forum to fast track outcomes of some communication between it and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
“I think what we want from you, first and foremost, is really to help us follow up on letters sent to the Minister of Finance, forwarding the multi year framework of IDB’s intervention in the North East of Nigeria,” he said.
“We want approval sent in so that it will enable us move forward.This has gone out to the Ministry of Finance recently. We would be very glad and appreciate it if you could help us follow it up and and then the Bilingual Education Project which is also outstanding.
“We have to follow it up through the Minister of Education. We will get that across to you as well.
“And then, I believe other requests that we sent, about sending a pipeline of projects that we could support for the last quota of the year. We also want your support, of course we had this discussion while you were here to launch this project, the Bilingual Education project, a National Workshop that will help mobilise and sensitize people”.
“Mukhtar said the IDB had done lots of background work both single handedly and in partnership, including the World Bank and the Africa Development Bank.
“We have been involved in supporting and will see how we can support further efforts in the North East.”
“The Vice President also gave updates with respect to interventions of the IDB in the different states in Northern and Southern Nigeria.
“We have engaged with other stakeholders; some officials of the Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa state governments, to really put together a package that will help us focus on supporting.
“We have been working closely with the Borno State Government; its Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), to also identify several interventions particularly the areas that need most support like reconstruction and food security for the three states.
“So also the establishment and equipping of the Centre for Trauma Management, Rehabilitation and Reintegration in the state.
“We have formally conveyed the framework to the Federal Ministry of Finance to seek their endorsement, and with that, we will be able to prepare a detailed programme. ”
Mukhtar also listed other IDB ongoing projects in the country and the levels so far.
“We have projects to add to the current power generation capacity in Nigeria. That’s really the key project but other than that, we are trying to restart our portfolio in terms of projects, we have few under preparation; agriculture projects in Kano, health projects in Katsina and roads in Ebonyi.
“In addition to that, we have the private sector entities, who have been involved actively in trade financing, supporting trade financing activities.”(NAN)
ABI/IA