BENIN CITY – THE Edo State Employment and Expenditure For Results (SEEFOR), has said it has impacted directly on the lives of 7,532 people in Edo, through the SEEFOR/FADAMA III collaboration besides other several interventions in infrastructure, empowerments, education and others.
The State Coordinator of SEEFOR Project, Mr Toju Onaiwu, disclosed this in Benin City during a media briefing on the activities of the program in Edo State which would wound up by September.
He said that the feat which was achieved through 437 SEEFOR/FADAMA III users group across the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo, has reduced unemployment rate in the state.
Onaiwu also said that through the SEEFOR project, no fewer than 16,860 youths in Edo have been engaged since the inception of the interventionist project in July 2013.
He maintained that a lot of successes have been recorded within the objectives which the programme seek to address.
The Coordinator stated that aside the engagement of 16,860 youths as beneficiaries, the same figure have been engaged on money management and entrepreneurship skill for self-reliance.
He further said under the component A1 that is designed to generate employment for youths through the award of small competitive public work, 180 roads of about 199km, have been constructed under the scheme.
Onaiwu informed that the SEEFOR have made tremendous impact in the area of education, especially as it concerns technical and vocational education.
“In the component A2, this is designed to increase access, and improve the quality of skill acquisition and development for youths empowerment through existing vocational and technical training institutions.
“The project has disbursed grants to eight Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Training Institutions (TVAT) schools across Edo. We have also provided a modern clarion, workshops and laboratories with equipment to Government Science and Technical College, Benin.
“We have given starter pack to over 20 students in skill acquisition centre and have also supported innovation hub to help youths achieve their dream of becoming self-reliance.
“While 2,970 students have been trained on technical and vocational skills between 2015 and June 2019, over 2000 students trained and employable, in addition to the fact that 104 teachers have been trained and deployed to TVAT schools,” he said.
Similarly, Onaiwu said successes have also been recorded in component A3 of the project which is designed to increase access of communities to Socio-economic services through provision of Grant’s for Community Driven Development (CDD) micro projects.
He said under the component, Grant’s was disbursed to the CSPD and FADAMA III of the SEEFOR project for implementation of sub projects in the selected communities.
According to him, “Here, CSDP has completed 170 micro projects such as electrification, water scheme, town halls, market shop with 137,116 direct beneficiaries in 130 communities across the state.”
He concluded that with these interventions, number of unemployment has reduced in the state.
The National Project Coordinator of SEEFOR, Greg Onu, on his part said SEEFOR project has produced a pool of project professionals in various areas “Such as procurement, engineering, safeguards and others”
Some of the beneficiaries like Osaro Iyamu who with other interested persons with support from SEEFOR established a fish feed mill in Ogheghe Community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, said fish farmers are able to procure feeds from the mill cheaper than the open market.
Pastor Godwin Owie, on his part said his Evborhan/Oka-Useni Community got a Civic Centre through SEEFOR and appealed for the repair of the road leading to the community.
