World Bank chiefs in Nigeria, may assess geo-political spread of projects in 3 years
For the first time in Nigeria, the World Bank top executives numbering 10 are in Nigeria for a working visit to discuss ongoing World Bank projects and the country’s development priorities.
Even though efforts of Business Hilights to find out if the visit was to confirm if truly majority of the bank’s development projects were concentrated in the north failed, it would be recalled that on Friday, October 13, 2017, several Nigeria press had reported that the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, said on Thursday (October 12, 2017), that the bank had concentrated on the northern region of Nigeria in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s request when he assumed office.
However, the presidency was quick to deny the implied interpretation of the comment, saying Mr. Kim was quoted out of contest.
The team which arrived on Tuesday, meet with the Vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, some Governors and other business executives in Abuja on Wednesday and will be in Lagos today (Thursday), to meet the organised private sector as well as undertake a tour of LAPO Microfinance project in Lagos and Azura Power Plant in Edo State. The visit is expected to provide a first-hand impression of the challenges that both the Federal and State Governments face in implementing development projects as well as ensuring good governance overall. It will further enhance the goal of the Bank for member-countries and the effectiveness of the Executive Directors in providing the necessary support.
In the World Bank mission are the Bank’s Executive Directors for Switzerland, France, Italy, Nordic, Peru, Germany, South Africa (representing Angola, Nigeria and South Africa), Burkina Faso (representing Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa), Zimbabwe (representing Anglophone Sub-Saharan Africa), United Kingdom and Indonesia.
