For the second time in nine months, the World Bank has, again, rated Rivers State high in the implementation of the State Employment And Expenditure For Result (SEEFOR) project.
World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr. Ismaila Ceesay, who disclosed this during a meeting with the State, Steering Committee on the implementation of the project in Port Harcourt, said that the bank was happy that the project was yielding positive result in the state.
Ceesay particularly said that, the bank was impressed with the Technical Vocational and Agricultural Training (TVAT) sub-component of the project, and stressed the need for more efforts in the training of technical and vocational teachers, who will help to ensure quality manpower development in the vocational sector of the state.
He announced that the release of the N80 million grant by the European Union will increase the allocation to Rivers State as far as the project was concerned.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Government says, the expansion of the project to include empowerment of women will reduce tension in the Niger Delta.
Leader of the State steering committee on the implementation of the project, Barrister Isaac Kamalu, also said that the empowerment of women will lead to sustainable development in the state.
Kamalu, who is the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, commended the bank for its fair assessment of the state, and restated the commitment by the state government to ensure the success of the programme in the state.
In their separate presentations, both the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim Jack and her Women Affairs counterpart, Ukel Oyaghiri, called for more allocation to agriculture and skills acquisition for women.
It would be recalled that the World Bank team had visited the state in January, 2016, to undertake assessment of the project.
MaryRose Nwankwo