Kwara State receives $100m World Bank grant to assist its war against coronavirus

KWARA State government has received a sum of N100m ($260,282) World Bank to assist it as officials seek to strengthen the management of the health and social apparatus against the coronavirus pandemic.

Relatively unaffected by the pandemic, Kwara State only has 857 cases of Covid-19 so far, of which there have been just 21 fatalities. Not resting its laurels, however, the Kwara State government has opened isolation centres and introduced restrictions such as the closing of schools, shutting worship centres and banned mass gatherings.

Yesterday, the World Bank augmented these efforts with a grant. Rafiu Ajakaye, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Technical Committee on Covid-19, said that the grant was sourced through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He added that the grant was part of the ongoing World Bank-assisted Regional Disease Surveillance System Enhancement (Redisse) project. Redisse is coordinated by the NCDC to bridge funding gaps at the state level for the implementation of the Covid-19 response and incidence action plan.

Mr Ajakaye said that Kwara was one of the first few states in the country to receive the funding after it was certified fit for the financial support on account of its Covid-19 efforts. he added that the funds were meant for activities in the approved Incident Action Plan.

“The Redisse  project is to implement critical and time-sensitive priority activities related to the pandemic. The Covid-19 Response Fund for states will cover the priority activities in areas such as training, workshops, meetings, seminar, procurement of goods, services, operating costs and consultancy services.

“Kwara State is one of the few states that have met the criteria laid down by the NCDC and World Bank. This has triggered the disbursement of N100m to the state.”