Minister of state for budget and national planning, Prince Clem Agba, has said 2million Nigerians have benefited from the federal government’s COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme in the first year of its full implementation.
The NG-CARES is funded with a $750 million concessional loan facility from the World Bank in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
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The minister disclosed this in Bauchi during a one-day ministerial town hall meeting on Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme for stakeholders in Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina and Plateau states.
“The federal government once again wishes to restate its commitment to restoring the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable Nigerians.
“It is also committed to maintain food security and facilitate the recovery of Micro and Small Enterprises. The NG-CARES Programme is one of the policy options explored by our administration to achieve these objectives.
“In about a year of full implementation, NG-CARES has impacted over two million direct beneficiaries. This is based on the report of the first round of assessment of the programme implementation conducted by an Independent Verification Agent,” he said.
Represented by the chairman of the Federal Care Technical Committee of NG-CARES, Rev. Aso Vakporaye, the minister said one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s strategies was to meet with and engage the stakeholders as part of the government’s accountability to the citizens.
Agba said the purpose was to hear first-hand views of the people on government policies and programmes and to feel the pulse of the nation.
“This town hall meeting, therefore, provides an opportunity for both government and the citizens to interact with a view to increasing better governance and participatory democracy.
“The outcome of this interaction would form part of what this present government will hand over to the incoming government,” he said.
In his speech, head, Monitoring and Evaluation, Federal CARES Support Unit, Alhaji Atiku Musa, said after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government, in its proactive posture, developed the economic sustainability plan.
He added that this plan inspired the preparation and eventual implementation of the NG-CARES Programme in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
He said the programme had recorded tangible results and had positively impacted so many poor and vulnerable Nigerians affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other shocks across the country.