FG gives N438 billion to 34 states, Abuja for tackling poverty

The federal government has released over N438 billion in reimbursement to 34 states and the FCT under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.

The Information and Communication Officer, Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU), Suleiman Odapu, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr Odapu quoted the National Coordinator of the NG-CARES Programme, Abdulkarim Obaje, as explaining that the funds were disbursed based on the results achieved by the states and FCT during the third Independent Verification Agency (IVA) assessment carried out in January 2024.

He stated that from the earned results, Zamfara, Nasarawa, and Plateau states emerged as the first three earners with N49.2 billion, N27.2 billion and N26.3 billion, respectively.

Mr Obaje, however, said that Kaduna and Anambra States did not present results for verification during the exercise.

The national coordinator expressed the hope that all 36 states and FCT would participate in the fourth IVA exercise scheduled for September 2024.

“This huge reimbursement is aimed at supporting the state governments and the FCT in addressing the pressing challenges of multidimensional poverty.

“It will also enable them to deepen efforts at improving the livelihoods and resilience of the poor and vulnerable segment of the population,” he said.

Mr Obaje further stated that the resources were targeted at social intervention programmes in the states and FCT.

He expressed confidence that the resources would be deployed generously to bring succour and meaningful improvement to the lives of many poor and underserved Nigerians.

Obaje thanked the federal government, particularly the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, for the initiative and sterling leadership the programme received.

This, according to him, enabled state governors and the Minister of FCT to invest heavily in NG-CARES.

He specially commended the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, governors and staff of NG-CARES nationwide for the successes recorded so far under the programme.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NG-CARES programme is designed to mitigate the negative impact of the socioeconomic shocks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It also aimed to address other shocks by providing grants and basic social infrastructure services in poor communities.

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The funds are channelled towards various projects, including social safety nets, food security, and small business support. The statement added that efforts were being made to ensure that the assistance reaches the most indigent and vulnerable Nigerians.

The programme, which started in 2021, will close by December 2024.