The European Union has provided grants totaling $78.4 million and loans totaling $200 million to four Niger Delta governments in order to support employment creation.
The loans were made possible through the Ministry of State for Budget and National Planning, according to its Minister, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba.
Under the State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) Project, the money was given to the states of Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.
Agba said: “The Project involved a concessionary interest-free loan of US$200 million from the World Bank with a grant element of about US$78.4 million from the European Union.
“It was aimed at enhancing opportunities for employment and access to socio-economic services, while improving public expenditure management systems in the participating States.
“The State Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) Project (2014-2020) actually began before the inception of our administration but ended two years after I was appointed Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.
“SEEFOR was a World Bank-funded Project in partnership with the European Union (EU), designed for four (4) Niger Delta States of Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers.”
Regarding the National Development Plan (NDP), Prince Agba stated that the Federal Government was looking at “legislative imperatives of the NDP 2021–2025 to ensure continuity of the plan and remove the binding constraints militating against the private sector participation.”
The newly suggested laws, he said, “contains 18 laws and 10 policies and a committee is currently working with a legal firm on this”.
