Delta State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) has generated 9,515 direct employment in seven years, thereby surpassing the World bank set mark of 8,734 youths, which has curtailed restiveness in the state.
State Project Coordinator, Mr. Frank Apaokwu, who disclosed this in Asaba, while presenting an update on Delta SEEFOR implementation said it has surpassed the World Bank set mark of 8,734 youths.
He added SEEFOR has trained 14,954 beneficiaries in technical, vocational and agricultural skills as against the target of 7,900 also set by same bank.
Apaokwu also said every communty in the state has a right to any of the projects, adding that within same period under review within the project currently being implemented as a pilot phase in Delta, Bayesa, Edo and Rivers States, to help checkmate youths restiveness.
According to him, “The projects ,which effectively kickstarted in July 2013, was innitially schduled to run for five years, but there was an extention of time for one year, to 2019. And following the release of the European Union grant componemt of the project, the World Bamk approved another extention till September 2020.
“In view of the above, the project’s focus has been on completing all outstanding activities within the limits of available funds; and some of the achievements of the projects across its two components were Youth Employments through Small Public Works and Access to Socio-Economic Services, and a strategic public financial management reforms.
“These have provided employment for 9,515 youths in its Labour Intensive Small Public Works. Projects, as against a target of 8,736 set by the World Bank; a figure that has seen lives transformed with entrepreuneurial skills.
“We also implemented 160 waste management contracts through the Private Sector Participants (PSP) model. Over 70 percent of them that we angaged in six cities of Asaba, Sapele, Udu, Ughelli, Uvwie and Warri hav continued in business after the end of their contracts with SEEFOR in 2013.”
A breakdown of those trained revesls 11, 773 beneficiaries under the state technical nd vocational education (TVET), 740 under the Skills Training and Enttepreneurial Programme (STEP) of the Job Creation office with starter parks, and 209 under the Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurial Programme (YAGEP). While 101 got different vocational skills in the Lanour Imtensive Works Project scheme among others.
The state project oordinator also stated that under the component A, they also carried out 106 roads constructions, rehabilitations and drainage projects across the three senatorial districts of the state
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Barry Gbe, in his remarks, assured that the project’s September 2020, wrap up of the phase will not be the end to the project as the World Bank and the state government are desirous of sustaining the intervention that has been very successfull.
He said, “The challenge that may agitate the minds of many is what will happen to the the workforce and ongoing projects after the wrap up this month. I can asure you that all that have been taken into considerations. At the end of the programme, we are coming with a sustaininable plan to ensure coninuity.
” On the side of the World Bank, they are coming up with more projects. This is post-Covid era, the component will address what FADAMA was doing and the communities would be carried along. Two days from today (Monday) we shall be meeting with the bank on what it has and what Delta can buy into.”
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