Ondo gets $60m World Bank health loan

ONDO State government has secured a $60 million World Bank health investment loan following the positive assessment of the State’s Safe Motherhood programme also known as “ABIYE” by the Bank.
Already the bank’s consultant is said to be working on the project at Bolorunduro, Ondo East local government area.
Special Assistant to Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Health Matters and the Programme Coordinator, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, disclosed this.
Dr Mimiko had two weeks ago presented the state Safe Motherhood Programme, known as “Abiye” to the officials of World Bank in Washington DC with the programme adjudged to be a template to be followed by African countries.
According to him “This investment loan will enable Ondo State to scale up the “ABIYE” programme across the 18 local government areas.
Moreover, the World Bank has assured of its readiness to support and assist the state in improving its infrastructural facilities as well as revamp the education sector.
“Our success story was due to the state government’s different innovations which include introduction of technical guidelines, appropriate budgeting and prompt release of funds”.
Dr Adeyanju said that the Mother and Child Hospital in Akure, the state capital, was rated ahead of four of such health facilities in the country in reduction of Maternal Mortality rate with 4,037 births and the least maternal deaths within one year of the hospital’s existence.
The World Bank Vice President and Nigerian former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, said in the Bank’s appraisal remarks that the “ABIYE” programme must be replicated by each of the 36 states of the federation and Abuja as well as other African countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals target in 2015.
World Bank, for the first time, according to Ezekwesili “is getting value for its investment in Nigeria through the impressive performance of Ondo State government in the health sector.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/ondo-gets-60m-world-bank-health-loan/