Kwara to engage 5000 youth for W/Bank programme

The Kwara State Government has said it will commence the engagement of the first batch of 1,210 beneficiaries of the World Bank assisted Public Work Fare (PWF) Component of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operations (YESSO).

This was made known in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head of the State Public Workfare Unit, Mr Aregbe S.O who explained that the commencement of the programme follows the approval by Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Aregbe said the PWF component of the YESSO programme is targeted at youth between the ages of 18 and 35 and with less than JSS 3 education.

Aregbe added that the beneficiaries will be deployed to their respective worksite, which he said, will be within their immediate communities to ensure that the beneficiaries who will work on part time basis will not have to expend their monthly stipend.

He said the 1,210 first batch beneficiaries were selected from the single register of poor and vulnerable households in 153 communities across the six pilot local government areas, which include Asa, Ilorin West, Kaiama, Moro, Ifelodun and Isin.

He disclosed that the beneficiaries will receive a monthly stipend of N7,500 paid to the accounts opened for them during the orientation programme.

The programme is co-funded by the State government and the World Bank, with the government advancing the initial 100 per cent payment and the World Bank making a quarterly reimbursement of 90 per cent to the government.

Aregbe said another 4,704 beneficiaries have been selected for the second and third rounds and would be deployed to their various worksites in the second quarter of 2018.