From Omale Adama, Lokoja
Activities of Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), in Kogi state have received a boost at the weekend, with the approval of N400m to the agency, saddled with the responsibility of developing the rural areas by Governor Idris Wada to fund community requests for micro-projects in 2014.
Governor Wada disclosed this at the inauguration of two blocks of classrooms and motorized solar-powered borehole at Ichala-Ajode village, in Ibaji Local government area of the state.
The governor said government took the step in its bid to not stifle the agency, as there was information to the effect that the International Development Association (IDA) had withdrawn its funding of CSDA states this year.
“We have retained the status and structure of Kogi CSDA for 2014, a year we are informed will have little or no IDA funding to CSDA states. We are therefore, harnessing resources so that we commit at least N400 million to fund community projects.” Capt. Wada disclosed.
Capt. Wada also promised to construct a road to link the village, Ichala-Ajode, which shares his middle name (Ichalla), with Echabi junction on Idah-Onyedega road to ease the transportation challenges bedeviling the community.
The General Manager of the agency, Mr. James Odiba, who spoke earlier, said that the agency had so far received Expressions of Interest (EOI) from over 700 communities and carried out participatory Rural Appraisal in 170 of them.
The agency, he said, had so far drawn over N1.2 billion of the World Bank’s funds to execute community development projects in the state.
