BY ANDREW IKEHI
NO fewer than 9,174 persons have benefitted from the Delta State job and wealth creation programme since its inception in 2015, the State Job and Wealth Creation Officer, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwuyenga has said.
Egwuyenga who disclosed this yesterday in Asaba, the state capital when he appeared before the Delta State House of Assembly Committee on Special Duties for a budget defense of the Bureau’s 2025 budget proposal, He recalled that the beneficiaries were drawn from the STEP, GEEP, YAGEP and PPSP platforms of the job and wealth creation programme.
According to him “in line with the Bureau’s mandate, 9, 174 persons have benefited directly from STEP, GEEP, YAGEP and PPSP initiatives since inception in 2015. ‘’A total of 5, 051 benefited from STEP, 1, 776 benefited under YAGEP, 190 benefited from GEEP and 2, 157 benefited from PPSP. ‘’In April 2024, the Bureau’s programmes have been evaluated, rejigged as well as other new initiatives introduced to better position it to address current economic realities.’’
While saying that the State Government approved the implementation of a grant disbursement programme, the ‘MORE BusUp’ through which the state would provide grants to Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (SMEs), the Job and Wealth Creation Officer of the state further stated that this would help to cushion the effect of the harsh economic realities being faced by small businesses. In the 2025 fiscal year, he disclosed that the Bureau is proposing the sum of N2.5 billion which he noted, was aimed at ensuring that it functions optimally.
Egwunyenga however, noted that the Bureau is poised to helping the teeming youths to open business as well as provide jobs and wealth opportunities that would help to grow the economy of the state.
He, however, appealed to the Committee to look into the budget proposal, saying that this would help the Bureau to achieve its goals and objectives. Responding, Chairman of the Committee, Hon., Anthony Ebitonmo Alapala while commending the Bureau for its achievements, urged it to put in more efforts aimed at achieving the proposed budget, just as he enjoined them to do more to enable a greater number to benefit.
