COVID-19: 16 states received N1.6bn World Bank grant —NEC

The National Economic Council (NEC) said on Thursday 16 states had so far received N100 million grant each from the World Bank to ease the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the country.

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the virtual NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The World Bank recently made a proposal of $1.5 billion to states as part of economic stimulus to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sule said the council received the Progressive Report of its Ad hoc Committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ease the lockdown of the economy.

He listed the states that had so far received the grant as Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross River, Imo and Delta.

READ ALSO: World Bank gives condition for $2.5m COVID-19 grant to states

The governor said the report stated the summary Review Status of States Incident Action Plan (IAPs) as at August 5.

Sule said: “All states had submitted IAPs, 35 states cleared by the World Bank, 22 signed Grant Agreement (GA) and 13 yet to return signed GA.

“The 22 states that signed the GA are –Ekiti, Gombe, Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Plateau, Delta, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo, Yobe, Ondo, Osun, Nasarawa and Benue.

“Of the 22 states, 16 states had received N100 million grants — Ekiti, Gombe, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Oyo, Abia, Enugu, Zamfara, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kwara, Cross-River, Imo and Delta.

“Five states next on the list of payment are – Plateau, Yobe, Ondo, Benue and Osun. One state is yet to communicate account details- Nasarawa.’’

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