World Bank Approves $200M Emergency Support to Nigeria

By Joseph INOKOTONG
The World Bank has approved $200 million credit to support the Government of Nigeria’s response to the acute humanitarian and forced-displacement crisis triggered by the Boko Haram conflict in North East Nigeria.
The project will provide multi-sectoral crisis recovery in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, including service delivery restoration and infrastructure rehabilitation in health, education, transport, water, and sanitation sectors.
A statement from the Bank said “Communities affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the region are experiencing a particularly wide range of profound challenges,” said Rachid Benmessaoud, World Bank Country Director, Nigeria.
“Their vulnerability is multidimensional, including severe damage to their social fabric, the extensive destruction of property and infrastructure, and significant basic survival and socio-economic needs that remain largely unmet. As such, responses should be multi-sectoral, offering avenues to self-reliance and following international standards on safe and voluntary return or reintegration.”
It pointed out that the conflict has led to the loss of more than 20,000 lives, the displacement of two million people, and has negatively affected the livelihoods of six million more people.
The Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, approved by the Board today, forms a key part of the World Bank’s support to the Government of Nigeria towards the implementation of the Buhari Plan and the Recovery and Peace Building Assessment, prepared by the Government of Nigeria over 2016, with support from the Bank, EU, UNDP, DFID and other development partners.
It noted that the project will contribute to resolve constraints to restoring livelihoods and access to food, including road rehabilitation, technical assistance and program management support and will positively impact over 150,000 people including forcibly displaced populations, host communities and other conflict-affected communities in the states. Up to $5 million of the approved funds will help farming families combat the food security crisis in the region.
Activities related to promoting food security include restoring access to productive assets by providing agricultural inputs including, but not limited to, seeds of local staple crops, fertilizers and tools.
“The project is a part of the larger multi-partner solution to crisis recovery in the region,” the statement further stated.