BY EBI NIEKETIEN/JUMAI NWACHUKWU/PATRICK MGBODO
A total of 247,000 Deltans across the 25 local government areas of Delta State have benefitted from the Delta Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) programme, according to the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Sonny Ekedayen.
In an interview with The Pointer, Ekedayen revealed that the D-CARES initiative was designed to provide livelihood support, enhance food security services and provide grants to poor and vulnerable households as part of efforts to alleviate the economic hardship intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that the programme, which was a joint initiative between the Federal Government and the World Bank was later rebranded after the pandemic, and operates through six delivery platforms in the state, aimed at empowering beneficiaries and helping them adapt to current economic realities.
“We operate through about six delivery platforms. These include the Fadama agricultural programme, community driven development support unit, livelihood support, labour-intensive interventions, cash transfer unit, Delta State micro and medium enterprises development agency’ Ekedayen stated.
The Commissioner stressed that even without the ND-CARES programme, the state government remained committed to supporting the poor and vulnerable through its own social safety mechanisms and intervention strategies.
‘’As we speak, irrespective of ND-Cares, the government has been at the forefront of rolling out various empowerment programmes. You will agree with me that we have had initiatives such as the MORE Grant Scheme and MORE Girls Programme, which have provided financial support. Even the Ministry of Women Affairs launched an intervention late last year.
‘’Currently, the Ministry of Science and Technology is in the process of disbursing funds, and the Job Creation Office also implemented a programme last year. These initiatives demonstrate that this government genuinely cares for its citizens.
“So with or without ND-CARES, the government has its own mechanisms and strategies for reaching the poor and vulnerable in our communities. ND-CARES is simply an additional intervention; if it had not been established by the Federal Government, Delta State would still have its own social safety programmes,” he added.
Ekedayen highlighted the state government’s commitment to social welfare, citing the inclusion of social security and safety net programmes in multiple ministries’ budgets during the 2023 budget defence sessions.
“In 2023 alone, we rolled out over seven intervention schemes. This shows that the government is sensitive and responsive to the needs of its people, particularly the most vulnerable,” he said.
He emphasized that the state government would continue to play its role in reducing poverty and enhancing economic resilience in the state through the D-CARES and other invention programmes to support individuals and communities facing economic challenges.
