Background

The Ebonyi State Community and Social Development Agency (EB-CSDA) is a World Bank assisted agency, with the core mandate of developing rural communities across various sectors of the state.

Last month, the agency in collaboration with Ebonyi State Ministry of Human Capital Development/Monitoring, flagged-off a state-wide micro project, with the launch and funds disbursement to 100 qualified communities and 2,040 Labour Intensive Public Workfare beneficiaries, worth N2.055 billion.

In a related development, a total of 2,040 beneficiaries comprising youths, artisans and elderly, received the sum of N180, 000 each, as part of the rural development drive of the government.

Flagging-off the disbursement of the funds in Abakaliki, the state capital, Governor Francis Nwifuru, who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Moses Odunwa said that the initiative was in tandem with the state government’s manifesto.

Nwifuru speaks

Nwifuru said that the projects, when fully operational at the grassroots, would cushion the hardships confronting the citizenry. The governor disclosed that the project will gulp N2.055 billion. According to him: “The government has resolved to prioritise community development across the13 local government areas.

The fund disbursement to communities is geared towards improving the economic power of the people. “The programme is an inter-agency programme that cuts across all agencies of government.”

Nwifuru used the occasion to handover cheques to benefiting communities for the execution of community projects. This is as he noted: “Ebonyi State is rated highly as a state that has empowered its youths with N2 million each to start any business of their choice.”

Life changing projects

Earlier in an address, the state’s Commissioner for Human Capital Development/Monitoring, Mrs Ann Anigwe, said that the communities received N12.5 million each, to embark on life touching projects of their choice.

“Today is a remarkable day in the history of Ebonyi State, 100 communities will move ahead and assess N12.5 million for any project of their choice. “Each of them will assess the funds and execute any project they like and at the end of the day we would have100 projects going on simultaneously in the communities,” she explained.

The commissioner recalled that in September 2023, Governor Nwifuru disbursed funds to 31 communities, which were beneficiaries of the programme. She stressed that Nwifuru has increased the funds for the projects from the N10 million earlier earmarked to N12.5 million.

Anigwe further disclosed that 200 communities were currently being profiled to benefit in the second batch of the community empowerment programme. Speaking against the background of the 2, 040 Labour Intensive Public Workfare beneficiaries, Anigwe highlighted that each of them would receive N180, 000.

EB-CSDA

The General Manager of the Ebonyi State Community and Social Development Agency, Mr James Iroh, commended the state government for the support given to the agency. Iroh named the benefiting communities to include; Offerekpe in Izzi Local Government Area, Inyimagu community, Ezza Inyimagu and Igbeagu respectively. “By October 2023, Governor Nwifuru disbursed funds amounting to N310 million to 35 communities across the State,” disclosed Iroh.

In an interview, the Chairman of the Steering Committee, who doubles as the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr Leonard Uguru, reiterated that the NG-Cares has come to stay in the state. “The NG-Cares is meant for the poor people in the society, it has been helping the downtrodden and has enhanced development at the grassroots,” he said.

Lawmakers’ support

Meanwhile, members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly have pledged their support to the services of the State Community and Social Development Agency. The Chairman of the House Committee on Human Capital Development, Aloysius Nwodom, gave the assurance during the disbursement of funds to the beneficiaries.

“Through the activities of EB-CSDA, the activities of the lawmakers have been stepped down to the grassroots,” he revealed. The lawmaker further noted: “There is no community in Ebonyi State that has not benefited in terms of provision of roads, healthcare, basic education and rural development.”

Speaking on behalf of the benefiting communities, a representative of Offerekpe community in Izzi LGA, Mr Linus Nwizi, expressed appreciation to Governor Nwifuru for spearheading development in the rural areas. Nwizi noted that the priority accorded the benefiting communities through the programme has yielded dividends of democracy to the people.

Skills acquisition

In a related development, the state government in its resolve to tackle food insecurity has sent a total of 100 youths to Agbani Farms in Enugu, Enugu State for three months training on various agricultural skills. The training programme is coordinated by a renowned agricultural firm based in Enugu, known as Master Skill Development.

Addressing the beneficiaries before their departure, the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Anigwe, said that the initiative was one of the state government’s policies geared towards human capacity development. Anigwe said that those selected would be trained in various sectors of agriculture namely: cassava farming, fishery, poultry and piggery.

“This is the pilot stage, on completion of the training, the government would send another batch of trainees,” Anigwe disclosed.

She enjoined the beneficiaries to be committed, assuring them that the government would empower them with agricultural machines and funds to enable them to be self-reliant on completion of the training.

“It is the desire of the government to train the youths, then empowerment follows immediately after the training,” she said. Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the training firm, Mr Onyemuche Nnamani, said that the participants on graduation would return to their normal lives.

According to him: “This programme has been on for the past six months on human capital development, the fastest way is through skill acquisition.

“The participants would be developed on various skills to be productive as farmers, with modern tools and equipment.” Nnamani urged state governments in the country to engage the youths in skills acquisition.

He said that this would enable the youths to go into production, thereby reducing social vices in the society. “With production, crime will go, poverty will go, empowerment will strive, society will be better for it,” he said.

In an interview, two of the participants of the training, Mr Ude Samuel and Miss Judith Chidinma Oko, commended Governor Nwifuru for the initiative, describing it as worthwhile.

“This is the first of its kind by the government to embark on this practical exposure, with the nature of this training, we would be self-employed on graduation,” said Samuel. The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the state government while assuring the governor that they would not disappoint the government.