Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule on Thursday said that the World Bank loan received by states is intended for infrastructural projects, not for alleviating the hardships faced by Nigerians.
In the last nine months, the Federal Government distributed N573 billion to state governors to combat poverty in their regions. Many Nigerians, including human rights lawyer Femi Falana, have called on states and the FCT to account for how the funds were spent.
During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the governor explained that the funds were received in installments, with the most recent disbursement occurring in June.
“The money is tied to certain projects. It is almost like a regimented loan from the World Bank. The money is not for rice, it is not for palliatives, it is not for anything in that line,” he said
“That money came from the World Bank and that was the second disbursement which came I November last year. The account amount was credited to the account of every other state, sometimes around January.”
The governor explained that during the second tranche received by states, Nasarawa received N13.6 billion, representing over 10 per cent of the amount.
When asked about the per cent given for the repayment, the governor said: “The World Bank is actually doing it at no interest.
“The reason is because it was coming to support states because of the Covid. It actually started around the year 2020.”
In July 2024, the Federal Government disbursed over N438 billion to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus programme. Kaduna and Anambra States were excluded from the latest round of payments because they did not submit results for verification during the exercise.
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