European Union (EU) is partnering with World Bank and Federal Government to improve governance and youth employment in four Niger Delta states via the national launch of the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) project.

The World Bank is implementing the project with a credit of $200 million while the EU is providing additional financing of €80 million about N17 billion.

The states are Bayelsa, Edo, Delta and Rivers.

The project aims to address the main causes of the unrest in the Niger Delta region through improvement in governance in the participating states.

EU Delegation’s Politics, Information and Communication Section (POIC), Abuja, said the SEEFOR project would support the four states to strengthen their public expenditure management systems, enhance skills and opportunities for youth employment, support local communities’ development initiatives and provide access to socio-economic services, such as safe, adequate and sustainable water and sanitation.

It noted that the launch of the project “formally signals the end of the preparatory phase and commencement of full implementation” of the following activities across the states.

They are youth employment through small public works contracts and institutional strengthening including capacity enhancement of youths in skills acquisition; scaling up/expansion of community driven development activities using the structures of the community and social development project; and grants to technical, vocational and agricultural training institutions, among others.

Source: Daily Independent