Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Tuesday flagged off the fourth tranche of the State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES) programme now Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (D-CARES), providing direct support to a total of 97,365 beneficiaries across the State.
This brings to a total of 208,000 persons favoured under the programme since its commencement after COVID-19 in 2021.
At the flag-off of the event held at Dome Event Centre, Asaba, Sonny Ekedayen, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Chairman State CARES Steering Committee (SCSC), explained that the beneficiaries spread across six delivery platforms, comprising State Cash Transfer Unit, 9,845; Labour Intensive Public Workfare Unit 10,000; Livelihood Support Unit 7,000; Community Driven Development Social Implementation Unit (CDDSIU) 60,000 (60 micro-projects) under result area 1.
He said that 6,020 benefited through the State FADAMA Coordination project under result area 2, while 4,500 benefited through Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development (DEMSMA) under result area 3, bringing the total beneficiaries under 4th tranche to 97,365, while overall total beneficiaries now stood at 208,209.
He explained that the DELTA-CARES is a World Bank project in partnership with Nigeria: Community Action (for) Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme NG-CARES and commended Governor Oborevwori for massively increasing the number from 110,844.
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Governor Oborevwori’ while flagging off the programme implementation, said the gesture was in furtherance of his administration’s desire to meet the component of inclusiveness of “Opportunities for All” in the MORE Agenda.
He said that the fourth disbursement marked another significant milestone in his administration’s commitment to the economic empowerment and welfare of the people.
“This is not just a continuation of this initiative but also a testament to our administration’s determination to build a state where every citizen has a sense of belonging.
“It is gratifying to note that the Delta CARES Programme has touched lives and provided critical support to households and small businesses. Their stories of resilience and renewal continue to inspire the work we do.
“This current phase of implementation represents more than just another stage in the DELTA CARES Programme. This initiative reflects our strong conviction that prosperity should be shared and that every citizen deserves a fair chance at achieving their potential.
“As we roll out this 4th phase, we are proud to announce that over 97,000 beneficiaries will be empowered. We must, however, note that this figure is more than a number; it represents individuals, families, and communities.
“From grants to small businesses to providing support for poor and vulnerable households, we are delivering real change, and it is our hope that this intervention will increase and create ripples of development across Delta State as we continue to do MORE for our people.”
