WORLD BANK: AGENCY SENSITIZES LGAs, MDAs, TRADITIONAL RULERS ON NG-CARES PROGRAMME
The Zamfara state Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) has organized one day advocacy and sensitization session for sole administrators of the 14 local governments councils of the state, traditional rulers and officials from MDAs for the implementation of the World Bank-funded National COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) in the state.
The federal government’s delegation, led by Prof. Funsho Aderebigbe had last Tuesday visited the state to conduct a readiness assessment and advisory visit on the programme.
The World Bank is to disburse $750 million USD to the NG-CARES in Nigeria, to positively impact on the lives of vulnerable Nigerians hit by the pandemic.
Under the arrangement, each state will receive $20 million dollars, over a period of two years, while the FCT and the Federal Care Support would each get $15 million dollars as from June 30.
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Speaking at the event in Gusau on Thursday, the former Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibo said the programme was designed to increase the cash transfer and livelihood support for vulnerable households, as well as increase food security.
Jibo who chaired the session said the programme is to support the state to also mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) development, farming activities, as well as empowering vulnerable groups in order to uplift their standards of living.
According to him the state government led by Gov Bello Matawalle has made proper arrangements for the successful implementation of the programme.
The Permanent Secretary and CEO in charge of CSDA, Alhaji Garba Muhammad presented a paper on Result Area 1 of the programme “increased social transfers, basic services, and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households”.
Muhammad said the state government has done proper arrangements through the agency for the succeful implementation of some aspects of the programme.
According over N3 billion naira would be expended by the agency through various projects in improving the lives of vulnerable groups in the state, disables, women children in socio economic, health education and community development.
The Programme Coordinator, Fadama office, Zamfara, Alhaji Samai’la Abubakar who presented a paper on Result Area 2 of the programme “that is increasing food security and safe functioning of food supply chains for poor households” assured his office readiness for the programme.
“As we all know, the Result Area 2 of the programme has the following four disbursement linked indicators.
“Agricultural inputs and service, labour intensive agricultural infrastructure, agricultural assets for production and mitigation of food loss and waste, as well as upgrading wet-markets to function safely.
“Fadama Coordination office in the state is entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the Result area 2 of the Nigerian CARES programme under which over N3 billion will be expended for provision of farming inputs, equipments and capacity for extension workers”, he explained.
According to him, the programme will support farmers through cooperatives in food processing, storage adding value and supply to increasing food security and safe functioning of food supply chains for poor households.
“We are, therefore fully prepared to implement the result area 2 of the Nigeria Cares Programme”, Abubakar said.
The State SMEs Programme Coordinator for the ministry of Commerce and Industry, Mukhtar Garba while speaking on Result Area 3 of the programme said over N2 billion would be injected in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the state.
Garba said the state Ministry of Commerce and Industry made serious arrangements inline with the guidelines of the Bank of Industry for the success of the Results 3 of the programme in the state.
WORLD BANK: AGENCY SENSITIZES LGAs, MDAs, TRADITIONAL RULERS ON NG-CARES PROGRAMME
