Lagos: The Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme has impacted 17 million vulnerable Nigerians with results of 2.2 billion dollars achieved in the first four years. Abdulkarim Obaje, National Coordinator, NG-CARES, announced this during a five-day stakeholders' workshop in Lagos, marking the commencement of the second phase of the programme, NG-CARES 2.0.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the World Bank supported NG-CARES 1.0 with 750 million dollars, while the federal and state governments contributed over 1.4 billion dollars, leading to the overall results amounting to 2.2 billion dollars. The first phase benefited 17 million people directly and another 50 million indirectly. Obaje highlighted that the programme is recognized by the World Bank as one of the most effective post-crisis response interventions.
Obaje emphasized that NG-CARES 2.0 aims to build on the successes of the initial phase, focusing on resilience beyond recovery from emergencies. The World Bank has invested approximately 795 million dollars in credits, while state governments have produced results surpassing 2.2 billion dollars. About 30 percent of the World Bank credits have contributed to these results, with state governments investing over 70 percent of the resources. NG-CARES 2.0 is set to receive a total credit value of around 500 million dollars.
The selection criteria for beneficiaries will continue to use the social register, which will be strengthened at the state level. Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa, World Bank Consultant on the NG-CARES programme, noted the effectiveness of the first phase in tackling poverty, initiated during the COVID-19 crisis. The programme's success has led to requests for integration into government systems as a shock-responsive mechanism.
The Auditor General of Jigawa State, Garaba Muhammad-Dutse, stated that the first phase positively impacted farmers, small and medium enterprises, and other vulnerable groups in the state.