THE World Bank has announced a 500-million-dollar grant to support Nigeria’s recovery efforts from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fund will be utilised through the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was launched in 2021 to aid poor and vulnerable households and micro-small enterprises affected by the pandemic.
The World Bank Task Team Leader for NG-CARES, Dr. Lire Ersado, revealed these at the end of a two-day Peer Learning and Experience Sharing meeting in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The meeting was organised by the Federal Cares Support Unit, under the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Ersado, represented by Prof. Foluso Okumadewa, an official with NG-CARES, said that the grant would also assist Nigeria’s broader economic recovery initiatives.
He added that “the World Bank will continue to support NG-CARES for the next three years, and this support may extend further with backing from the government.”
He reiterated the bank’s commitment toward institutionalising the programme to ensure its sustainability beyond external funding.
He said “the NG-CARES programme aims to promote economic resilience and provide stimulus to communities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The National Coordinator of NG-CARES, Dr. Abdulkareem Obaje, highlighted the programme’s successes in offering essential support to vulnerable populations.
He said the programme spent about 750 million dollars to aid those affected by the pandemic.
He explained that “the shock response mechanism of the programme has been highly effective, with 625 million dollars already disbursed to states, representing an impressive 88 per cent.
“These reimbursements for work completed by various states is a remarkable achievement, considering the programme’s scope and timeline.”
The Director-General of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Alhaji Abdulateef Shittu, emphasised the NGF’s mandate to assist states in adopting best practices for developmental programmes like NG-CARES. (NAN)
