The Governor Godwin Obaseki administration in Edo State is riding on the crest of a robust, sustainable partnership with the World Bank to transform the state. On the strength of the strategic alliance, successes so far recorded in the execution of major infrastructural and social development projects may have positioned Edo as the model for development financing. CHIKODI OKEREOCHA looks at how the state’s adherence to the bank’s rules guiding project execution endeared her to the Breton Woods institution.
edo State is clearly not the highest recipient of crude oil revenue in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. It is also behind Lagos and Kano states, for instance, in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) figures. But by making transparency and accountability in the execution of developmental projects the hallmarks of the state’s administration, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki may have found an ingenious model for financing major infrastructural and social development projects via a strategic alliance with the World Bank.
Already, successes so far recorded in project execution across the state, riding on the back of Obaseki’s brokered strategic alliance with the World Bank, are said to become the model for development financing at the national and sub-national levels. And this robust relationship with the Breton Woods institution and its development partners, which dates back nine years ago, according to observers, is hinged largely on the governor’s regime of strict adherence to rules and terms guiding the execution of developmental projects.
Those conversant with the blossoming relationship also say that the Edo State Government’s credo on transparency, accountability and its preference for projects that can pull the largest number of people out of poverty, as against frivolous political projects, also warmed it to the heart of the World Bank, which has never hidden its commitment to supporting and encouraging countries and states whose financial books are open for transparency.
According to World Bank’s Governance Global Practice, countries and states are encouraged “to build strong institutions and prosper by creating an environment that facilitates private sector growth, reduces poverty, delivers valuable services and earns the confidence of their citizens – a relationship of trust that is created when people participate in government decision-making and know their voices are heard.
For many states and even countries, adhering to these World Bank terms is perhaps, a tall order. This is because project impacts must be measured, and contract terms such as cost cycle and funding are strictly adhered to, even as the financial books are open for transparency. These are governance principles that earned Edo the ears of the World Bank, which has been impressed with the number of people that have been moved out of poverty.
The bank is no less impressed by the impacts of the state administration’s projects on the environment, the reduction in child and maternal mortality figures, gender mainstreaming amongst other considerations. The state has also been able to prudently apply its receipts, portfolios as well as technical support from the bank, which accounted in part, for the various erosion control and road projects.
The result of the bank’s technical support has also been visible in the areas of sanitation, water, agriculture and policy reforms in institutions spread across the state, designed to engender inclusive growth. And these are critical issues that underlie the World Bank’s partnership with various states and countries across the world.
Some of the Bank-sponsored projects that stand out in the state include erosion control projects under the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Project (NEWMAP), Edo State Employment and Expenditure for Result (SEEFOR), covering road projects; agriculture (FADAMMA); water, sanitation, and other forms of assistance, which the governor said have accelerated development in a number of rural communities in the state.
The road to a model state
During the visit of World Bank officials to the Government House, Benin City, the World Bank Executive Director for Angola, Nigeria and South Africa sub-groups, Ms Bongi Kunene, said that with the successes recorded in executing major infrastructural and social development projects in Edo State, the state has become a model for development financing at the sub-national level in developing countries.
Ms Kunene said the Bretton Woods institution was impressed with the level of work done through its various projects as well as the partnership that birthed the Edo-Azura Power Project, for instance. She noted that Edo State was among the two sub-national governments that accessed its budget support instruments, stressing that the Bank was willing to “Partner the state on future projects, as long as the projects are in line with the Bank’s focus.”
Ms Kunene specifically described the Edo-Azura Power Project as “Transformational.” “It gives us a scope of what we can do together. We are delighted to see solutions,” she declared. The Country Director of World Bank, Nigeria and Co-ordinating Director for Regional Integration Programme in West Africa, Rachid Benmessaoud, also earlier declared the Bank’s readiness to replicate the model and build more Azura projects in Nigeria and West Africa.
Showcasing his administration’s achievements particularly in agriculture to his guests, Obaseki said one of his goals was to replace crude oil with oil palm. According to him, aggressive effort was being made to make Edo State the oil palm hub in the country and beyond.
He, however, highlighted some of the challenges faced by his government, including illegal migration and human trafficking, explaining that 60 per cent of returnees to Nigeria are from Edo State.
“Trafficking is high because the people are prepared to take the risk of embarking on the dangerous journey.
“If they can turn such zeal to learning a skill and contribute their quota to development, the nation will be a better place for us all,” Obaseki said, pointing out, however, that in the state alone, about 3, 300 people have returned home after a painful experience in Libya and elsewhere.
The governor added that his administration has been reintegrating them into the society through a bouquet of initiatives including creating jobs, mentoring, technical and vocational education; skill development programme, amongst others.
A partnership that works
Tracing the relationship between him (from his days as the head of the planning team under former governor Adams Oshiomhole) Obaseki said: “We have gone through a learning curve with the World Bank, a journey which started over nine years ago and we want to drive this down to the local government councils so that every individual in the state will feel the impact of our government at all levels.”
He explained that at the state level, several reforms of key institutions have changed work culture for better outcomes, adding: ”Our institutions are working at the state level and we want to work at strengthening the local councils.”
The governor said his administration also plans to work with the World Bank in strengthening governance-support structures for optimal performance and deepen the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the state.
He maintained that what the state needs from the World Bank now is ‘More Knowledge and less Cash’ so that the state will optimise her resources for the benefit of all. He noted that the several visits of the World Bank officials lend credence to his administration’s “commitment to bringing development to the people,
One of such high-profile visits was the recent visit of 11 World Bank executives, who were in the state for on-the-spot assessment of the bank-sponsored developmental projects in the state. That was in May this year.
The visit of the bank’s 11 wise men and women to Edo State, according to observer, showed its unprecedented interest in the Edo economy.
The 11 Executive Directors – considered to be an interestingly large delegation – took time to assess the performance of the state on key development indicators.
They also reviewed activities to determine the feasibility of extending more support to some of the programmes funded by the bank in the state.
In the World Bank delegation were the Executive Directors for Switzerland, France, Italy, 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.
Encouraged by this and other visits by the Bank, Obaseki assured that with the support of development partners, Edo State under his watch places high premium on the sanctity and the integrity of partnerships, contracts as well as an open and transparent process.
“Development partners like the World Bank operate in an environment where stakeholders abide by rules governing the partnerships, and in which input, output and outcomes are measured from time to time. The World Bank will not take you seriously if all you do is to award ‘political contracts,” Obaseki added.
Indeed, the World Bank’s interest in the development of the state, which has heightened in recent times, was a reflection of the state’s commitment to inclusive governance, ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity through the reform of critical public institutions that will support private sector growth.