Kwara targets 1,400 beneficiaries in World Bank-backed community loan scheme

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The Kwara State Government says it is expanding the reach of its Community Revolving Fund under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes project, with plans to increase beneficiaries from 1,000 to about 1,400 across rural communities in the state.

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This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the Communication Officer of KWACReSAL, Okanlawon Taiwo, a copy of which was made available to The PUNCH in Ilorin.

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The intervention, backed by the World Bank, is designed to support agricultural growth, improve livelihoods and strengthen environmental resilience through a revolving loan structure targeted at community-based groups.

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Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq restated the commitment on Wednesday at the opening of a two-day revalidation, retraining and post-disbursement support programme held in Ilorin for beneficiaries of the scheme.

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AbdulRazaq, who was represented by the Commissioner for Environment and Chairman of the State Steering Committee for ACReSAL, Nafisat Musa-Buge, said the initiative remained a key strategy for grassroots economic empowerment and sustainable development.

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“The Community Revolving Fund is a strategic intervention aimed at improving livelihoods, strengthening resilience and expanding economic opportunities across benefiting communities,” she said.

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Buge disclosed that the first phase of the programme covers 50 Community Interest Groups drawn from 10 communities, with about 1,000 beneficiaries already captured under the scheme.

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She added that each participating community receives $25,000, which is distributed among five Community Interest Groups operating within the communities.

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“The fund is structured as a repayable loan in line with World Bank guidelines, and beneficiaries are expected to repay within eight months after disbursement,” she said.

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According to her, repayments from beneficiaries would be recycled into the system to ensure continuous funding for other community members under the revolving arrangement.

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“The revolving nature of the fund is designed to guarantee sustainability and widen access to economic opportunities for rural dwellers,” Buge added.

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She further explained that the retraining exercise was aimed at equipping beneficiaries with practical knowledge, improving implementation capacity and reducing post-disbursement challenges.

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Project Coordinator of ACReSAL in Kwara State, Shamsideen Aregbe, said the programme focused on ensuring improved productivity and sustainable growth among beneficiaries.

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“The success of ACReSAL rests on the success of our beneficiaries, and that is why we are strengthening their capacity through revalidation and retraining,” he said.

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In his goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Dr Abubakar Ayinla, said the intervention had already recorded visible impacts in rural communities, particularly in environmental improvement and community-based economic activities.

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He urged beneficiaries to utilise the funds effectively, noting that communities that demonstrate compliance and productivity would continue to benefit from future interventions under the programme.

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