1.3 Indigents In 420 Communities Benefit From Infrastructure Projects In Osun

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

Over 1, 300,000 indigents have benefited from infrastructural intervention projects in 420 vulnerable communities in Osun State, according to the Osun Agency from Community and Social Development Project ( CSDP).

The infrastructure projects including road, electricity, health, education, water, environmental, sanitation, and social supports were undertaken under the auspices of the CSDP.

CSDP General Manager, Mrs Funmi Abokede disclosed while presenting the scorecard of achievements by the agency at a press conference in Osogbo, Osun state capital.

Abokede mentioned that in the last seven years, thousands of lives have been transformed as a result of the life-changing programmes of the agency.

Abokede said 722 projects have been successfully completed by community project management committees nominated by beneficiary communities. The projects cut across eight categories of rural electrification, water, transportation and socio-economic.

Others are education, health, environmental and natural resources control; and gender and vulnerable groups. She added that capacity building programmes have also been organized for about 4,620 community project management committees from the 420 communities.

She said, “so far, the Osun State Government has contributed a sum of N813m to the project, while it’s funding partners, the World Bank has put about N3.3bn.

“With these projects, we have been able to achieve our goals. We have also in the recent time give special priories to the vulnerable groups especially, people with disabilities. This has helped in bringing out ability in their disability and also mainstream them into the society.”

While reeling out what the agency has done since the inception of the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola, the General Manager said the governor has prioritized persons with disabilities and the efforts towards them are already yielding positive results.

Announcing the closing of the CSDP, Mrs Abokede said the agency has changed its nomenclature to Osun Community and Social Development Agency and it is commencing operation under this new name with the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) which is a programme to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 on the people.

Some of the beneficiaries who came to give the testimonies at the event said their lives have been transformed through CSDP life changing programmes