Kwara State Government plans to obtain a N7.1 billion loan facility to clear a six-year outstanding backlog of UBEC funds to plough into its basic education sector.
Speaking via zoom to the participants at the engagements session on Friday, Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the facility approved by the State Executive Council was to enable the government to access UBEC’s N7.1 billion grant.
AbdulRazaq said the administration would also invest it in training and promotion of teachers, among other incentives, to attract more quality hands.
He commended the people of the region for their self-help approach to development, saying that the administration would not fail in its duty to build infrastructure and rejuvenate the economy.
“The government is aware of challenges in Kwara South particularly in the area of access roads for farm produce and trade, and would soon commence phased construction of at least 600 kilometres of roads under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) before the end of the year,” he said.
“The World Bank assisted programme (RAAMP) is going on. That should cover about 600km roads which should begin by the fourth quarter of this year. Many roads have been captured under the programme, including in Kwara South,” AbdulRazaq said.
He said the administration has been constructing some roads and rehabilitating health centres in the region, as in elsewhere across the state, and called for more engagement with and support for the government.
“This meeting is to engage you, to know your pains, where you want us to improve in terms of infrastructure: roads, water, healthcare, schools, job creation, and indeed all facets of human endeavours. So, we are here to listen to you. Tell us what you want and how you want it done,” he added.
The Governor said the government has also set up a committee on job creation headed by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi with a mandate to explore more areas the administration can get people engaged in productive activities.
