YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: OSUN TO BENEFIT FROM WORLD BANK N50BN FUND

Osun State is to benefit from the N50 billion World Bank/ Federal Government youth employment fund, the Sector Leader of World Bank on Human Development, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa has disclosed.

Okunmadewa who is the task leader on Youths Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), disclosed this after assessing the members of the Osun State Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) at their duty posts in Olorunda, Osogbo and Ayedaade Local Governments.

He disclosed that the state government has achieved a milestone in the area of engaging youths into community development and the World Bank is looking into areas to help the government expand the scope of the scheme.

'This is the third time we are coming to the state to assess the scheme and so far we have discovered that the government is showing other states in the country how to get their youths gainfully engaged.From our past interaction with the officials of the scheme, we discovered that the scheme is getting beneficiaries involved in community responsibility and this time we are seeking the response of the corps members so as to understand it more and help the state build upon the success it has achieved,' he explained.

He added that with the youth's employment model in the state, the World Bank would partner with government and called on other states to emulate the Osun State scheme to make their teeming unemployed youths useful.

The six-man team toured about four council areas in the state, where they interacted with the corps members on their area of specialty and areas where the scheme needs improvement, which according to them is to ensure its sustainability and durability.

In his assessment, Yasser El-Gammal observed that the scheme has the potential to be the best in the continent; he stated that what the government was doing had endeared the financial institution to the state.

'The World Bank is here to assess what the state government is doing and complement its effort by improving and helping to expand the project, we are impressed with what we see and believe it is a laudable programme on the part of the government', he added.

The leader of the state government team, Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Special Needs, Mr Stephen Kolabalogun stated that the state administration has not relented in its effort to give its youths the best welfare programme, saying government was aware of the tremendous challenges ahead and would tackle them appropriately.