Oyo State government and the World Bank have expended N2billion on 718 community development projects across the State within 2009 and 2019, as the State administration vowed to continue funding projects that would make life better for rural dwellers.
The Chairman, Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OSCSDA), Dr. Idowu Oyeleke stated this on Monday at Ibadan during the stakeholders’ forum on intermediate outcome evaluation carried out to x-ray the positive impacts of these projects on the people in the rural communities.
“The World Bank, in conjunction with Oyo State government engaged an independent consultant and academia on outcome evaluation and report review of the projects, scheduled to close by June 2020.
“One of the cardinal objectives of the present administration in Oyo State is to ensure that citizens, irrespective of their location within the State, enjoy the basic infrastructures, which will in turn, reduce the rural-urban migration.”
While delivering his evaluation report which was carried out to determine the workability of Community-Driven Development (CCD) approach, the independent Consultant from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kabir Salman disclosed that over two billion naira has been spent between 2009 to 2019 on implementation of group micro projects spanning education, health, road transport, water, socio-economic, environment and rural electricity in 182 communities.
“Findings from this ten year-long project, which had gulped N2billion showed the fund and projects have impacted positively on the people and their environment, the feedback gotten thereafter has helped improve performance of Project Development Officers and also the design of subsequent Community-Driven Development (CDD) program and policies,” he reiterated.