YAOUNDE, July 17 (Xinhuanet) -- The World Bank has offered loans of 677.8 million US dollars to Nigeria, Madagascar and Benin for reduction of poverty, economic diversification and political reforms.

    According to Cameroonian media reports on Sunday, Hafez Ghanem,the World Bank's country director in Nigeria, said that a loan of 390 million dollars would go to Nigeria to help the African country in the fields of water supply, power generating and state governance.

    Ghanem said that the loan was a result of the new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) for Nigeria based on two principles of focus on poverty alleviation and the National Economic EmpowermentDevelopment Strategy.

    The reports said that the World Bank also provided a loan of 257.8 million dollars to Madagascar to reduce poverty.

    In addition, another loan of 30 million US dollars will go to Benin for health, education and social development programs.

    In July, the World Bank's new President Paul Wolfowitz visited Africa, promising to help the continent to reduce poverty. Enditem