The office of Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, today said that Conditional Grants Scheme has remarkably brought development to the citizens of this great nation through the provision of essential basic services. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs Dr Precious Kalamba Gbeneol made this known today at the opening of the sentization/training workshop for 2013 conditional grants scheme (CGS) to local governments held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
In her opening speech, SSA to the President on MDGs, said; “the It gives me great joy to welcome you all to this sensitization/ Training Workshop for the 2013 Conditional Grants Scheme to Local Government proposal writing and call for application. You may wish to recall that the first of this kind of workshop was held in 2011 as part of the federal government’s ongoing effort to scale-up the MDGs conditional grants scheme to local government. The scale-up has substantially fast-tracked the achievement of the MDGs in Nigeria by building service delivery capacity and planning competence of the initial 113 local governments, the 2012 scale-up to 148 LGAs is to further deepen these gains. It is on the basis of these inspiring breakthroughs that we kick start the scale –up to 250 LGAs across the country.”
Speaking further the Senior Special Assistant said; “This has remarkably brought development to the citizens of this great nation through the provision of essential basic services. It is therefore important to enlighten this gathering that, the Conditional Grants Scheme (CGS) channels debt relief gains (DRGs) to states and local government areas (LGAs) in a bid to address Nigeria’s most pressing developmental needs. States and LGAs apply competitively for grants from the CGS, which is dedicated to supporting sectoral initiatives to help attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). States and LGAs are required to provide matching counterpart funds for project securing funding under the CGS.”
According to her the initiative has scale-up MDGs investment and direct resource and policy attention towards priority sectors, weak indicators and service delivery bottlenecks, adding that the objectives of the workshop therefore, is essentially to strengthen capacity of stakeholders at all levels to be on thesame page as we approach the date line of MDGs come 2015, strengthen the TAs capacity to develop sound development proposals, understand the focus areas of CGS 2013 investment to local government areas; “in addition, this workshop hopes to provide a platform for stakeholders to explore the opportunities available in these initiatives, to interact and provide candid feedback that will form the basis collaboration among all tiers of government and our esteemed development partners in national development
Enumerating the things that has been achieved under the CGS, she said; “At an occasion like this, it is important to give feedback to our stakeholders especially our international development partners on some of our modest achievements over the last three years; as at today about 5,000 water projects have been provided across 113 LGAs of this country including 1,536 ventilated and improved VIP latrines in the water and sanitation sector, in the health sector we have successfully constructed, renovated and equipped 1,305 health facilities, innovatively engaged and trained about 2,610 village health workers, procured and distributed 277 referral vehicles (Ambulances), construction and renovated 61 health workers quarters with over 68,400 health workers trained. Under the education sector, 1714 class rooms have been constructed and renovated,2,804,664 exercise books distributed, 79,067 benches and chairs have also been provided, construction of 18 teachers quarters and the engagement and training of education extension workers spreading across several LGAs in the country. The economic sector has not been left out in the CGS success story as we have also provided conditional cash transfer (CCT) to over 9,600 households and the provision of 444 agricultural cooperatives with micro-credits. In a bid to ensure that projects are implemented rapidly and to high standards, the MDGs-CGS has developed an innovative independent monitoring and supervision framework. Academia and professional bodies are implementing the new system and have ensured timely completion of over 5,000 projects across 113 local government areas (LGAs), and 6,000 projects across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory between 2011 and 2012. Another recent innovation is the Nigerian MDGs Information System (NMIS) which will be launched and made public soon. This was developed using the results of a nationwide Baseline Facility Inventory and Needs Assessment.”
While stating that; “The NMIS provides a comprehensive map of health, education, water and sanitation facilities throughout the country and will enhance research, development and planning. Let me at this point bring to the notice of this August gathering the investment /intervention focus for the CGS to local government in 2013 which include
· Poverty Eradication/Wealth Creation through Agric business, Micro-credit scheme and women empowerment through skills acquisition.
· Water & Sanitation (facilities and commodities)
· Provision of Primary Health care
· Education.”
To her she said; “Our expectations for this workshop are set within the context of challenges we face in the areas of appropriation and the capacity constraints at sub national levels that led to the review of the CGS implementation manual to include provisions for running costs, research and development which have enhanced project implementation. Specifying the composition of CGS state implementation committees clarified the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders and led to more effective budgeting for MDGs projects by states and local governments. The changes have heightened responsiveness, accountability and transparency among stakeholders.”
The SSAP said that it is therefore pertinent that, we all open our minds to the opportunities provided by the challenges we face to chart a innovative course, as we synergize in our collective drive towards achieving the MDGs within the context of these reforms! I therefore urge all participants, to view the Conditional Grants Scheme, through the window provided towards addressing the 8 goals in your various Local Government Areas and energized to make this partnership work; “We have a unique opportunity in the Administration of President Dr. Good luck Ebele Jonathan, Commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria, to make a success of this opportunity for inter-governmental collaboration that will deliver essential basic services to our people nationwide. At the Federal level we are not resting on our laurels but making concerted efforts to ensuring the success of this initiative.”
