The federal government has released the sum of N438,368,915,30.24 as reimbursement to 34 States and the FCT under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme formerly known as Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme.
The release is part of the government’s efforts to stem the growing tides of poverty in the country especially in poor communities.
The National Coordinator of NG-CARES Programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje, who announced the release of the funds in Abuja, said the funds were disbursed based on the Results achieved by the States and FCT during the third Independent Verification Agency (IVA) assessment carried out in January 2024.
From the earned results, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Plateau States emerged first three earning N49,182,347,834.58, N27,204,679,444.17 and N26,312,588,262.79 billion respectively. “Kaduna and Anambra States did not present results for verification during the exercise.
He expressed the hope that all 36 States and FCT will participate in the fourth IVA exercise scheduled for September 2024.
This huge reimbursement, according to him, is aimed at supporting state governments and the FCT in addressing the pressing challenges of multidimensional poverty and deepening efforts at improving the livelihoods and resilience of the poor and vulnerable segment of the population.
Dr. Obaje stated that these resources are expected to be targeted at social intervention programmes in the States and FCT. He expressed confidence that the resources will be deployed generously to bring succour and meaningful improvements to the lives of many poor and underserved Nigerians.
In a statement signed by the Information and Communication Officer, Federal Cares Support Unit (FCSU), Mr. Suleiman Odapu, the National Coordinator thanked the Federal Government and particularly the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu for the initiative and sterling leadership provided to the programme which has enabled State Governors and Minister FCT to invest heavily in NG-CARES. He specially commended the Minister FCT, State Governors and staff of NG-CARES nationwide for the successes recorded so far under the programme.
The NG-CARES Programme is designed to mitigate the negative impact of the socioeconomic shocks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic and other shocks through the provision of grants and basic social infrastructure services in poor communities. The funds are channelled towards various projects, including social safety nets, food security, and small business support, ensuring the assistance reaches the most indigent and vulnerable Nigerians and communities. The programme which started in 2021 will close by December 2024.