Bayelsa To Use $4m World Bank Incentive To Strengthen Education, Health – Diri
Governor Douye Diri has assured Bayelsans that the state's $4 million performance-based incentive from the World Bank will be judiciously utilised to strengthen the education, health and local government sectors.
The governor gave the assurance on Wednesday during the 190th State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Yenagoa, following reports that Bayelsa and four northern states met the World Bank's criteria for performance-based funding under the HOPE Governance Programme.
According to the World Bank, the five states will receive a combined $15 million in incentives after emerging as the best-performing states in implementing key reforms in the education and healthcare sectors.
Governor Diri attributed Bayelsa's success to the administration's sustained investments and reforms, noting that the positive impact of government policies was already evident across critical sectors.
He said reforms in the local government system had transformed council administration, enabling local government areas that previously struggled to pay workers' salaries to not only meet their wage obligations but also execute infrastructure projects.
"There is so much we are doing even in terms of local government reforms. At some point, local governments could not pay salaries. But today they are not only paying salaries but also doing infrastructure projects.
"Our investments in health and education are visible, and I want to assure Bayelsans that the funds, when received, will be used to strengthen the sectors.
"Our duty is to serve you and make sure we improve what we met on the ground. Together, let us work to build a stronger Bayelsa that we will be proud to hand over to our children," the governor said.
Earlier, the Governor's Special Adviser on Treasury and Accounts, Timipre Seipulo, explained that the HOPE Governance Programme is designed to improve efficiency in key sectors, particularly education and healthcare.
He stated that the World Bank's incentives were based on the findings and recommendations of an Interim Independent Verification Agent, which assessed states' performance against the programme's Disbursement-Linked Indicators.
Providing a breakdown of the award, Seipulo said Bayelsa earned $1.5 million for reforms in the health sector and another $1.5 million for education reforms. The state also received $500,000 for local government reforms and an additional $500,000 for the preparation of a citizens' budget, bringing the total incentive to $4 million.
The World Bank's HOPE Governance Programme is aimed at encouraging states to implement reforms that enhance governance, improve service delivery and strengthen accountability in critical sectors.
