World Bank Earmarks $18.5m for Edo SEEFOR

By Dipo Olowookere

The sum of $18.5 million will be spent on State for Employment and Expenditure for Results (SEEFOR) projects in Edo State for 2019.

This disclosure was made by the Task Team Leader of the World Bank group, Mr Parminder Brar, during a courtesy visit to the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

The World Bank’s top shot commended the state for proficient execution of World Bank projects in the outgoing year in the state, adding that the performance has led to the release of another tranche of $18.5 million to complete 59 sub-projects, which will provide jobs for about 9,000 youths in the next twelve months.

The Task Team Leader assured the state that SEEFOR would be supporting Technical and Vocational Training (TVET), as the institution is pleased with the progress recorded at the Government Science and Technical College (GSTC), for which the bank has committed $2 million.

“Edo State is on the front-line of using Integrated Financial Management Information System, but I urge the state to pass the proposed audit bill. We have planned a one-week Information and Communication Technology (ICT) intervention and have brought all the SEEFOR states to learn from the Edo State experience. Edo is doing well.

“We need to work with your team, as you have got the basics in place but need to see the benefits being rolled out, and the model fully implemented,” he said.

In his remarks, Governor Obaseki expressed appreciation to the World Bank for its intervention in the state, noting that it has helped the state domesticate a number of development models through the SEEFOR programme.

He expressed the willingness to assist sister states’ SEEFOR programmes but called for a switch to an open system to enable inter-platform interaction.

“We understand what SEEFOR is all about and ready to assist our sister states in the sub-region. We are open and willing to share our experience and knowledge with them. We now have our own home-grown SEEFOR for which we are committing five billion naira of our fund to be managed by the SEEFOR team,” he said. The Governor assured the delegation of speedy transmission of the draft document of the proposed Audit Bill to the Edo State House of Assembly for passage