The federal government has inaugurated the Federal CARES Steering Committee, FCSC, of the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.
The NG-CARES Programme is an initiative strategically designed to serve as a shock response mechanism and distribution channel for reaching the poor and vulnerable in the country.
The Programme which is a 750 million US dollar credit from the World Bank to support States and FCT is aimed at ‘Expanding access to livelihood support and food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms.’
The Information and Communication Officer, NG-CARES, Mr. Suleiman Odapu in a state issued in Abuja, Nigeria said that “the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu is to serve as the Chairman.”
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Bagudu urged members of the FCsC to work as a team and encourage States and FCT to advantage of the NG-CARES to implement programmes and serve as distribution channels for reaching the poor and vulnerable.
Bagudu stated that “the NG-CARES is well designed to respond to various shocks such as social, environmental, and economic shocks arising from the impact of government policies.”
Addressing Food Security
He added that the programme can address food security, and arid season farming among
The World Bank represented at the inauguration by the NG-CARES Co-Task Team Leader (TTL) Dr. Lire Ersado, reiterated the Bank’s commitment to supporting the Nigerian government in improving the lives of the
poor and vulnerable.
Ersado singled out the performance of the NG-CARES programme as one of the World Bank best-designed and implemented programmes globally.
He appreciated the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning for providing the required leadership, adding that the World Bank is satisfied with the implementation of the programme.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the NG-CARES Programme, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje stated that “the programme is scheduled to close in June 2024 with two more rounds of independent
assessments of results outstanding.”
Obaje further said that the Nigerian Government has reimbursed States and FCT the sum of 210 billion Naira to implement the NG-CARES Programme.
He appealed to the FCSC to embark
on advocacy visits to low-performing States under the Programme.
The inauguration was also attended by Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev and those of Women’s Affairs, Uju Kennedy, and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha.
Others include the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance was represented by the Director of International Economic Relations, George Stanley, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum Executive Director, Lateef Shittu, and the Director of Economic Growth of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.