Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has commended the African Development Bank (AfDB) on implementation of its $65.75 million Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) in the state.
Zulum, during a visit to the Director-General, Nigeria Country Department of AfDB, Mr Lamin Barrow, on Tuesday in Abuja, said the programme was targeted at ameliorating the effects of insurgency.
The programme aims to improve the quality of life by increasing access of the internally displaced population to basic social services.
The Programme focuses on reintegrating the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Psychosocial support, peacebuilding, environment, climate change, and gender equality interventions are mainstreamed in all components of the Programme.
The services include water, sanitation, hygiene, health and education; livelihood opportunities; food security, and strengthened safety net systems to facilitate the reintegration of the displaced populations.
Zulum said: “First and foremost, I want to commend the bank on the successes so far recorded in the implementation of the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme in Borno State.”
“The insurgency in Borno has triggered acute humanitarian and livelihood crises, devasting economic activities of our populace.”
“An outcome of the recovery and peace building assessment of the impact of insurgency revealed that we lost over 6.7 billion dollars to insurgency within the region out of which Borno accounts for two third of this amount.”
“The implementation of the Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme has helped us in addressing some of the humanitarian, livelihoods and infrastructural problems arising from Boko Haram Insurgency in the State.”
The governor who attributed the root cause of the insurgency in the state to poverty and lack of basic infrastructure said his administration was doing a lot to address these challenges.
Zulum expressed the readiness of the state to abide by all set rules and regulations of the bank that would enable speedy implementation of the project.
“We are ready to abide by the project procurement processes and implementation guidelines of the bank.
“We are also committed to working with the bank’s team and other stakeholders to ensure the completion of the project,” he said.
Responding, AfDB’s Director-General expressed the continued commitment of the bank to support the reintegration of displaced population in the state and improving the livelihoods of the people.
Barrow said: “We want to commend the Governor for his visionary and hands-on leadership style. We reassure him and the state of the commitment and continued support of the bank in improving the livelihoods and quality of life of the people of Borno State.”
The Inclusive Basic Service Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Programme (IBSDLEIP) is currently being implemented in the North East States of Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba. Borno State has so far achieved good progress in delivering the key objectives of the Programme. The total number of project beneficiaries in Borno State from Component I (provision of basic services in WASH, Education and Health) is 1,582,431 while under Component II (provision of livelihood opportunities) 8,807 people have been empowered through various trainings and support.