The World Bank in collaboration with Nigeria's central state of Nasarawa has acquired 31 hectares of land in Karu Local Government Area for a low income housing estate.

Alhaji Jafaru Ango, managing director of the Karu Area PropertyDevelopment Authority (KAPDA), told reporters here on Monday that "the World Bank is partnering with the Mararaba Market Associationto build houses in an area called Peninsula for low income earnersat an affordable price."

But, he did not mention the cost of the project.

Ango said the project which was aimed at providing comfortable accommodation for the masses would commence as soon as the layout of the land was ready.

He added that the World Bank had given various communities assistance to the local government area most especially the provision of roads and that it intended to do more as its contribution toward the development of the area.

He said the World Bank undertook a number of community-based programs including the repairs of Aso road from the expressway to the new Mararaba site and the expansion of the bridge linking the market to Guruku settlements.

He said the heavy presence of the bank in the area had to do with the combined efforts of the state government and Karu local council to meet their own side of the counterpart funding agreement.

Ango said the World Bank and the state government had also signed a multimillion naira (tens and thousands of U.S. dollars) agreement for the construction of a multi-purpose commercial house at the site of the old Mararaba market.

He said the Nasarawa state government had also made initial contribution of 200 million naira (about 1.5 million dollars) for work to commence in the area before the end of September this year.

Source:Xinhua