Kano Govt Approves N500m Counterpart Fund For W/Bank Climate Project

The Kano State Executive Council has approved N500m as counterpart funding for the implementation of a six-year World Bank-assisted project, tagged ‘Agro Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes’.

The Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the council meeting on Wednesday.

He said the project was aimed at increasing the adoption of climate resilience landscape management practices and enhance livelihood in targeted arid and semi-arid watersheds in northern Nigeria.

He said the council also approved the extension of the health programme Memorandum of Understanding between the state government, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Aliko Dangote Foundation.

According to Garba, the MoU, which followed the significant progress achieved in the programme, is aimed at improving routine immunisation services in the state with focus on optimising vaccine availability at service delivery points, among others.

He also announced that the council had approved an MoU between the state government and Medina Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the physical training of 5,000 teachers at Madina, students’ courses and establishment of virtual classes.

He said the state government would be responsible for providing return air tickets, visas, training allowance to the first batch of 50 teachers that would attend the intensive training.

The commissioner added that approval had also been given by the council for the release of N94.9m to facilitate the settlement of rent stores and garages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2020 and 2021.