The Nigerian government has extended the “Nigerian Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus NG-CARES” programme by 12 months to enable more people to benefit from it.
The Leader of the NG-CARES programme and Lead Social Protection Specialist World Bank, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa promised the support of the World Bank to the programme for an extended period of time.
Professor Okunmadewa made the commitment at a Townhall meeting organised by the Ministry of Finance Budget and National Planning to meet with stakeholders and Beneficiaries of the programme in Abuja the nation’s capital.
The programme is aimed at alleviating the hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and in line with the vision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
The Minister for State Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade assured the beneficiaries that the programme will continue to be transparent and expressed his appreciation to the World Bank for their commitment toward programme.
Also, the National Coordinator of NG-CARES, Mr Abdulkarim Obaje said that despite some challenges encountered during the implementation of the programme, it has had a positive impact on the lives of citizens.
He added that all parts of the country has benefited from the programme.
At the town hall meeting were stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory, Benue State, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, and Nasarawa States.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the programme officials, and the government to obtain documented information on the achievement and challenges of the programme from the beneficiaries.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed their view on how the programme impacted their lives and business
The NG-CARES programme seeks to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the livelihoods of poor individuals, farmers, vulnerable households, communities and owners of micro and small enterprises.
Dominica Nwabufo
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