Date: 2014-01-14

Kwara State Government yesterday said it would dole out N350 million to less privileged persons in five Local Government Areas in the state, to enable them access healthcare services.

The Special Assistant to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Alhaji Mustapha Saraki, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

Saraki said the money would be shared to selected beneficiaries in Isin, Ifelodun, Ilorin West, Edu and Moro local government areas.

He said the money, to be shared under the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, would be distributed to 2, 500 households in the council areas.

Aside this, he said, another N100, 000 would be given to each of the households next year to support them on exiting from the programme.

According to him, the programme is designed as part of efforts to meet the MDGs target by 2015.

He said it was a social safety net for extremely poor persons, particularly pregnant women.

Saraki said 20 village health workers would be recruited to serve in basic health centres that benefited from the MDG projects in seven local government areas last year.

He listed the council areas as Asa, Kaiama, Ifelodun, Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Patigi and Ilorin East.

The governor’s aide said more than N2 billion was spent on the procurement of facilities for schools, water and health centres in the seven local government areas.

According to him, 500 hand pumps were also provided in 2013 under the MDG in the seven local government areas.

(NAN)