NG-CARES disburses N625bn to 36 states in 3 years

 

The  Nigeria COVID-19 Action, Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) has said it has disbursed N625 billion to the 36 states in Nigeria since the inception of the program.

 

The National Coordinator of the programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje, stated this during the peer learning and experience-sharing exercise in Bauchi on Thursday.

To mitigate the negative social and economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Government is implementing NG-CARES in collaboration with the World Bank and the 36 state governments.

NG-CARES also aimed at addressing other shocks through the provision of grants and basic social infrastructure services to poor and vulnerable communities.

Obaje described NG-CARES as one of the most successful World Bank interventions assisting more than 5.3 million poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

He said the programme had been restructured to accommodate victims of flood and other related shocks.

Mrs Elizabeth Egharebwa, Chairman, Federal CARES Technical Committee, said the programme had been working with communities and agencies to alleviate the burdens of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians in the last three years.

She was represented by Adamu Gizos, Director Special Duties and Projects, Federal Ministry of Labour.

Egharebwa, who is also the Director, Economic Growth, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, said: ” While we are proud of what we have accomplished thus far, we know there is still much work to be done.

”That is why this peer learning event is so critical. By convening diverse perspectives and experiences, we can collectively identify solutions to the complex challenges we face”.

Also speaking, Mr AbdulAzeez Olorunshola, representative of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said the exercise was designed to encourage sustainable collaboration between the states.

This, he said, would ensure a better understanding of effective peer learning methods among the  states

Gov. Bala Mohammed, lauded the NG-CARES over its food security, small businesses and social intervention programmes.

Represented by Prof. Simon Yalams, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mohammed said the intervention encouraged the application of Information Communications Technology (ICT) in the provision of infrastructure and basic services to the people.

He urged the people to protect and ensure effective utilisation of the facilities provided in their communities for sustainable social and economic development in the country.

“The peer learning and experience sharing exercise is coming at a time when the phase one cycle of the programme is about to terminate.

”This will therefore provide an avenue for participants to articulate and consolidate all the strategies, techniques and skills applied and used in the implementation of the programme in the country.

”The lessons learnt would serve as a guide in the conception of development of future programmes, especially the 2.0 whose concept and framework has almost been developed,” he said. (NAN)