The Governor of Jigawa State, Northwest Nigeria, Malam Umar Namadi, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening grassroots empowerment initiatives as the country prepares to launch the second phase of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
The Governor gave the assurance while receiving the National Coordinator of NG-CARES, Dr. Abdulkareem Obaje, and his delegation in Dutse.
The visit was part of a national engagement tour to evaluate the programme’s achievements and document community-level impacts.
Governor Namadi described NG-CARES as “one of the most successful interventions in improving livelihoods and rebuilding local economies since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“This is a programme that has truly transformed lives in our communities,” he said, reaffirming Jigawa’s readiness to continue supporting the next phase.
Governor Namadi, who has been at the forefront of advocating for the continuation of the programme at both the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the World Bank, said the idea for the new phase stemmed from such advocacy.
“We pushed for its renewal because of the direct benefits to our people,” he added.
He pledged sustained partnership with the Nigerian Government and international development partners to ensure that social protection and livelihood support programmes continue to reach rural Nigerians.
The National Coordinator of NG-CARES, Dr. Abdulkareem Obaje commended Jigawa State for its effective implementation and transparency, noting that the state has accessed nearly $10 million under NG-CARES.
He said that the initiative has reached more than 70 million Nigerians nationwide, with over $696 million reimbursed to states.
Dr. Obaje said; “Jigawa is one of our leading examples of credible implementation.
“We are now transitioning from emergency recovery to strengthening resilience among vulnerable Nigerians.”
He also announced that the rollout of NG-CARES 2.0 is expected to commence in December, pending the completion of loan agreements with the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Olusola Akintonde