Frank Apokwu, Delta State Coordinator, State Employment and Expenditure For Results (SEEFOR) project, says plans are ongoing by the World Bank and European Union (EU) to extend the projects in the state.

Apokwu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Asaba, said SEEFOR programme, which was supposed to end in few months’ time would be extended by an additional year.

The Delta SEEFOR Project is an International Development Association (IDA) and European Union (EU) assisted Project to enhance opportunities for employment and access to socio-economic services, while improving the public expenditure management systems in the state.

Apokwu said the state already opted for extension of the programme and “if the request sees the light of day, the five year programme, which is billed to end in the next few months will continue till September 2020.’’

“The state is optimistic that World Bank and EU will graciously extend the project to 2020 to create more impact in the lives of the people of the state. This project was supposed to end this year, but it was realised that there has been a lot of slippages.”

“So, the World Bank has agreed that the project closure should be extended to September 2020 and they have asked the state to apply formally for the extension of the project and we have done so. What it means is that the extension will give us enough leverage to re-engineer, consolidate and ensure that we are able to achieve some of the remaining project development objectives in the state,’’ he said.

This would be the second time the project was being extended in the state.

The five year programme, which officially kicked off in the state in 2013 as against the initial plan of 2011, was extended in 2017 by two years.

Apokwu told NAN that the programme has impacted positively on the economic index of the state, especially in the area of job creation.

According to him, since the programme started in the state in 2013, it has created over 20,000 jobs, executed several road projects and six technical colleges and three vocational institutions have been revamped.

The coordinator also said that plans were ongoing to engage 825 youths under its public works component of the project in 2019.

“This year, we will be rolling out another 13 public works and we are hoping that we should be able to engage another 825 youths on our public works component,’’ he said. (NAN)