The World Bank has commended the Ekiti State Government for emerging the Best Performing State under the National Urban Water Sector Reform Project (NUWSRP) and third Best Performing State under the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP).
The recognition, according to a statement by Yinka Oyebode, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Kayode Fayemi, is part of the Nigeria Portfolio Performance Awards for 2019.
He said it was communicated via a letter signed by World Bank’s Country Director for Nigeria and Africa Region, Rachid Banmessaoud.
” The award recognizes the performance of project implementation teams across the states and federal institutions,” he said.
The letter from the World Bank and addressed to Dr. Fayemi read, “This is to congratulate you on your state’s commendable performance which led to winning the award for the Best performing State under the National Urban water Sector Reform Project (NUWSRP 3) and third Best Performing State under the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP).
“We hope to leverage on the gains and outcomes of this event as we look forward to a deepened partnership in your state, ” the letter read.
In a related development, the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) has also commended Ekiti State government for recording the highest number of initiatives in the Forum’s Development Initiatives tracking for the month of August.
The PGF in a letter signed by Mr Foluso Aluko, for the Director-General, said Ekiti State led with 18 initiatives ahead of Nasarawa and Lagos which recorded 14 and 10 respectively.
The initiatives, according to the letter, spread across empowerment, job creation, health care, education, infrastructure, security, economy, agriculture and justice.
Governor Fayemi has however said that the state would continue to partner with development agencies and relevant institutions in the bid to ensure all-round development in the state.
The Governor, according to Oyebode spoke at a meeting on the sideline of the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York.
He identified increase in social investments, rural and agricultural development as well as infrastructure and industrial development as some of the areas of focus in his administration’s plan to drive economic development.