Keystone Bank Limited and Diamond Bank Plc have expressed readiness to partner the Kwara State Government on the achievement of the state's programme of shared prosperity.

The chief executive officers of the banks gave the commitment at separate visits to the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, in Ilorin on Tuesday.

A statement made available to our correspondent on Wednesday quoted the Managing Director of Keystone Bank, Mr. Oti Ikomi, as saying that the bank had set aside N1bn bridge finance portfolio, N500m for youth empowerment programme and N250m for car loan facility for civil servants in the state.

Ikomi added that Keystone Bank was ready to partner the state government on the provision of infrastructure in health, education and other sectors.

The Managing Director of Diamond Bank, Dr. Alex Oti, said the desire of the bank to finance the agricultural potential of the state was for the transformation of Kwara into the food basket of the nation.

While describing Kwara as a state blessed with erudite human resources, he assured the governor that Diamond Bank would work with his administration in tackling unemployment in the state.

The governor advocated a robust funding model for the rejuvenation of infrastructure in the country.

Ahmed said that it was through such funding that the decay in several sectors of the Nigerian economy could be halted.

He said, "The decay in the energy sector alone has created unemployment and slowed down economic development of the country. This is why Kwara State has raised funds from the capital market for the rejuvenation of its critical sectors. The state has designed itself to run like no other state based on our resourcefulness."

Ahmed said that his administration's policy drive was hinged on creating a viable human capital development base on training of technical manpower to service vital sectors of the economy.

He said that the state had embarked on the refurbishment of its technical colleges while an international technical college would be established to transform the state into the hub of technical manpower in the country.

The governor said his administration's resolve to partner the private sector in line with its shared prosperity programme was because the public sector needed the expertise and operation of the private sector to succeed in service delivery.