Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State on Thursday promised that his administration would reduce poverty level by 50 per cent within four years.

Abubakar made the pledge in Bauchi while exchanging views with officials from the World Bank led by Folusho Okunmuadewa who visited him.

He emphasised that his administration was committed towards reducing the poverty level of the people by 50 per cent considering the high rate of economic hardship in the state.

The governor disclosed that his administration has concluded plans to increase girl-child enrolment in the educational system of the state as one of the programmes being pursued by the World Bank.

He said that in spite of the lean resources of the state, he would ensure that all projects being handled by the bank were assisted.

Abubakar said he had instructed that N80 million outstanding funds for health projects being handled by Bill and Melinda Gate and Dangote foundations be paid to the beneficiaries.

He frowned at the epileptic state of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state and promised to redeem all his electoral pledges.

The governor urged officials of the bank to initiate additional projects that would reduce the poverty level in the state.

He pledged that his administration would ensure prompt payment of counterpart fund whenever necessary to ensure that the state benefit from various programme.

The Sector Leader, World Bank, Country Office, Nigeria, had earlier said that 27,000 persons in 180 communities from six local government areas of the state have benefitted from the programme of the bank.

Okunmuadewa said that the bank has selected another 2,000 persons out of the 10,000 persons registered in the state have been targeted to benefit from subsequent programmes in six selected council areas of the state.

He said that 5,000 households in the state have benefited from the Cash-Transfer Programme of the bank and the bank has targeted another 2,000 persons.

The team leader said that the bank has selected 420 persons in the state to train them under the bank's Public Work Programme within nine months.

He advised the state government to pay its N10 million counterpart fund to enable the bank execute one of its programmes in the state. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. Abubakar

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