In a bid to revamp the local economy from the effects of COVID-19, the World Bank and Oyo State government would be taking an intervention project to nine communities in Oyo State.
The communities include Olorunwa community in Kajola local government, Ifesowapo community in Irepo local government, Apete/Kiiyan community in Egbeda local government and Obaseeku community in Ibarapa East local government.
Others include Agbaruru community in Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa local government, Isale Yidi in Atiba local government, Oja-Oke in Afijio local government and Bodija Adewumi in Ibadan North local government.
The Chairman, Oyo State Community and Social Development Agency (OYOCSDA), Hon. Dr. Babatunde Eesuola disclosed this on Thursday while declaring open a training for Community Development Management Committee (CPMC) and Sub-Committees of the nine benefiting communities in the state, at the Ibadan Business School, Bodija, Ibadan.
Babatunde disclosed that the project called NG-CARES, domesticated as OYO-CARES would focus on the communities captured by the Poverty Map of the State, while other communities from other local government areas will also be picked after the first nine benefiting communities.
He added that the model of the project was based on Community-Driven Development Approach where the people in the local communities will collaborate to execute micro projects for sustainability.
He noted that the intervention project, shouldered by the World Bank and Oyo State government was the outcome of the need to revamp the local economy from the effects of COVID-19.
“This is a direct response to the global financial crisis occasioned by the COVID-19, it is called Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, which is based on the collaboration of Oyo State and the World Bank.
“The project is called NG-CARES (Oyo-CARES) Project and for a start, nine communities from nine local government areas have been picked and those being trained today are the members of the Community Project Management Committees (CPMC).
“Our governor, ‘Seyi Makinde assured the people of Oyo State while seeking their votes that he will work assiduously to banish poverty and take care of the rural dwellers, this is the reason why this project is sacrosanct to the state and why it went into collaboration with the World Bank”, Babatunde said.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the Community Project Management Committee from all the communities were trained on implementation procedures which was handled by the CDSA General Manager, Mr Salau Jelili; Project Supervision and Maintenance Plan, Environmental/Social Safety and GRM Training by Mrs Bode Raji.
The training on Operation Manager and Simple Accounting and Procurement as well as Performance for Result Monitoring and Evaluation were delivered by Mr Ajadi Oni and Ogunjimi Ademola respectively, while Mr Rotimi Raji delivered a lecture on Project Monitoring and Evaluation.