MDGs: FG to release N25bn to 250 LGAs

The Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Gbeneol, on Thursday said the Federal Government would release N25 billion to develop 250 local government areas in the country. 

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr. Desmond Utomwe, the Media and Communications Consultant to the office in Abuja.

The statement said the effort was aimed at fast-tracking the achievement of the MDGs in Nigeria ahead of the 2015 deadline.

It said the fund would be used to develop the areas, adding that each of them would receive N100 million.

It said the funds would be released through Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS) programme.

The statement also said that the efforts would enhance development through the provision of essential services such as water, healthcare services, education and poverty reduction.

According to the statement, the initiative has scaled-up MDGs investment and policy attention towards priority sectors and improved service delivery.

“The CGS intergovernmental collaboration has yielded positive results within the last three years.

“About 5,000 water projects have been provided across 113 local government areas, including 1,536 ventilated and improved VIP latrines in the water and sanitation sector,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the presidential aide as saying in the statement.

 

It said the MDGs had successfully constructed and equipped 1,305 health facilities and trained 2,610 village health workers