EU To Boost SEEFOR Funding With €80m …Rivers, Three Others To Benefit

The European Union has said that it was considering an additional grants of 80 million euros to four states in the Niger Delta for the effective implementation of the state Employment and Expenditure Result (SEEFOR) programme.
The sum of $260million has already been disbursed by the European Union through the World Bank to the four affected states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo.
The SEEFOR Project task team leader, World Bank, Mr Ismaila Ceesay, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen during a courtesy call on the Rivers State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Isaac Kamalu in his office in Port Harcourt.
Ceesay, who revealed that the money will be disabused as soon as the grant agreement is signed with the Federal Government in the next four weeks, said that the additional funding will help the affected states to effectively ensure youth employment in their areas.
He said that the team was in the state for the review and evaluation of the various components of the programme with a view to assessing successes recorded so far, adding that it was expected that the various leverage on the programme to boost employment opportunities for youth in their respective states.
The Task Team leader, however, said that ratings of Rivers State in terms of performance in the last two years will be made after the review meetings.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government says it is fully committed towards the implementation of the SEEFOR Programme.
The commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning said this, during the courtesy call, said that the Nyesom Wike led administration was fully committed towards the effort by the World Bank to improve development in the state.