The Rivers State Government has inaugurated 5,500 beneficiaries of its Community Workforce Programme across the three senatorial districts of the State under the Rivers State Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (RIVCARES), a World Bank-assisted intervention scheme.
The programme, which targets vulnerable residents in rural communities, is designed to stimulate local economies, reduce poverty, promote environmental sustainability and discourage youth restiveness through community-based public works.
The Technical Head of Climate-Smart Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) under RIVCARES, Engr Prince Enyindah, disclosed this during the training and orientation programme organised for beneficiaries across the three senatorial districts in Saakpenwa, Ahoada and Port Harcourt.
Enyindah explained that the 5,500 beneficiaries were selected from the Rivers State Social Register, stressing that they would be engaged in environmental sanitation and other climate-friendly activities within their respective communities.
He noted that the programme was upgraded from the former Rivers COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Scheme to the Rivers State Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus programme, with climate-smart interventions incorporated into its operations.
According to him, the monthly stipend for beneficiaries has been increased from N15,000 to ¦ 20,000, payable for 12 months, with the possibility of a review after the initial one-year period.
He urged the beneficiaries to appreciate the state government under Governor Siminalayi Fubara for the initiative and encouraged them to invest their monthly stipends in productive economic activities that could improve their financial conditions.
Speaking in Saakpenwa, headquarters of Tai Local Government Area, Enyindah explained that beneficiaries would be responsible for activities aimed at improving sanitation, hygiene and environmental conditions in their communities.
He listed the areas of intervention to include clearing community footpaths, cleaning drainages and gutters, maintaining market places, town halls, community playgrounds and traditional rulers’ palaces.
He also urged the beneficiaries to discourage indiscriminate tree felling as part of efforts to promote environmental protection and climate resilience.
At Ahoada, headquarters of Ahoada East Local Government Area, where beneficiaries from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas received their training, the RIVCARES technical head emphasised that the programme was not politically motivated.
He maintained that the beneficiaries were selected through the state Social Register and cautioned against individuals or political actors claiming personal credit for their recruitment.
Enyindah further disclosed that plans were underway to provide beneficiaries with additional vocational and entrepreneurial skills to enhance their capacity to generate income beyond the monthly stipends.
Speaking with journalists, he explained that the programme was specifically designed to stimulate economic activities in rural communities, alleviate poverty and address factors contributing to youth restiveness.
He observed that prolonged unemployment and lack of income among rural residents could expose some individuals to social crises, adding that the monthly financial support would provide beneficiaries with some economic relief.
“If you look at the programme, it is an economic stimulus programme. You discover that there are people who stay in our rural communities from day one to the end of the month without getting a dime, and that can make them put their hands into crisis.
“But when somebody who is not getting anything is given ¦ 20,000 at the end of the month, it will make a little meaning to the person,” he said.
He explained that the programme currently covers all 23 local government areas of Rivers State, with approximately 234 beneficiaries allocated to each council area.
Enyindah described the ongoing exercise as the first phase of the intervention, noting that subsequent phases would be expanded as additional resources became available.
He therefore appealed to the state government to provide more counterpart funding to enable the programme to accommodate additional beneficiaries across the local government areas.
According to him, the previous phase of the intervention recorded significant achievements, particularly in addressing youth restiveness and providing economic opportunities for vulnerable residents.
Also speaking at Ahoada, the Head of Operations, Labour-Intensive Public Works, Mr Wilson Ihunwo, encouraged the beneficiaries to prepare for the responsibilities associated with the programme and make meaningful contributions to the maintenance of public facilities in their communities.
He explained that the beneficiaries would be encouraged to take ownership of public utilities and ensure their proper maintenance for the benefit of residents.
Similarly, the Head of Gender-Based Violence under RIVCARES, Jennifer Bishop, cautioned against gender discrimination, harassment and other forms of workplace misconduct.
She urged male beneficiaries to invest their stipends responsibly, while advising female beneficiaries to maintain appropriate professional boundaries and avoid inappropriate advances towards their supervisors.
Some beneficiaries, including Chiwendu Dukuma from ONELGA, Oby Joseph from Abua/Odual and Odema Kingsley from Omalem Community in Abua, expressed appreciation to the Rivers State Government for including them in the programme.
They pledged to utilise the financial support responsibly and invest their earnings in productive ventures, while appealing to the government to sustain and expand the initiative to accommodate more vulnerable residents.
The RIVCARES Community Workforce Programme is expected to combine temporary employment opportunities with environmental improvement, community development and economic empowerment across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.

The new President also solicited the cooperation and support of club members, stressing that their collective commitment would be essential to achieving the objectives of his administration during the Rotary year.