The Bayelsa state government has said it intends to create at least 7,000 temporary jobs through the implementation of projects funded from the $50 million development loan obtained from the World Bank.

The loan is part of a $200 million World Bank intervention in four states in the Niger Delta region including Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and Delta.

In a chat with journalists after a project tour of completed and ongoing interventions, the Bayelsa Project Coordinator of State Expenditure for Results, SEFOR, Ayens Adogu, said more than 3,000 jobs had already been created in the first phase of the project.

He expressed optimism that the state would exceed the targeted 7,000 temporary jobs at the end of the second phase of the programme going by the successes so far recorded.

Adogu said some youths have been engaged to provide labour for the concrete road projects for a period of one year on a monthly stipend of N20,000, adding that a new set of youths will be employed at the end of the year to rotate the jobs among the unemployed.

He also explained that some micro projects were being carried out using the direct labour approach in order to engage youths who were trained in skills and entrepreneurship.

The project manager said part of the conditions for the temporary one year jobs included a compulsory saving which could only be withdrawn at the end of the contract to assist as start-up capital for the youths.

SEEFOR project is a collaboration between the Bayelsa Government, World Bank and European Union to fund quick impact development projects such concrete walkways, streets, market stalls, craft centres and health centres.

According  to Adogu, benefiting communities are selected based on needs and the communities’ readiness to contribute 10 percent of the N10 million set aside for each benefiting community.

He further said that about 108 micro projects have so far been executed in the first phase of the project while an advert for another 136 projects has just been published.

“The government of Bayelsa is using the World Bank credit to reflate the economy of the state and boost economic activities to improve the living standards of the people,” Adogu said.

“The impact of the project has touched the state’s economy; for instance, the payment of over 3,000 hitherto unemployed youths involves 10 banks and not to mention the award of small contracts for the over 108 micro public works projects across the state.”

The project manager revealed that the $50 million dollars development facility has a 40-year term and 10-year moratorium at concessionary interest rate.