The proper utilization of funds meant for the execution of various intervention projects across communities has helped Nasarawa to emerge one of highest-funded States in terms of implemention of Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), the State Government has said.
It added that successes recorded in the programme was also instrumental to the 10% of the total intervention recently provided by the World Bank to Nigeria as areas of NG-CARES intervention in the State, included Community and Social Development Project, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, Water and Sanitation, Cash Transfer Programme and FADAMA, among others.
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Speaking on behalf of the State Government, Umar Ibrahim, the State NG-CARES Coordinator, said “if not for the political will demonstrated by Governor Abdullahi, and the support from benefiting communities to actualize NG-CARES vision, the State wouldn’t have accessed the N13.6 billion awarded it.”
Ibrahim, who spoke after an inspection tour of some of projects undertaken by NG-CARES in the State said about one hundred thousand people were currently benefiting from the programme across the 13 local government areas of State, with 45 rural roads constructed to alleviate the sufferings of the rural communities occasioned by the pandemic.
He stated that the construction of 11km Bukan-Fadama -Agyaragu and Kwandare-Awuma 5km road was opened linking other communities, including Lafia, the State capital.
According to him, the initiative is targeted at unlocking development of rural economy and livelihoods of the people, which had been destroyed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as mitigating the effect of the crisis.
Ibrahim noted that the programme had empowered less privileged persons, cutting across different sectors of the economy as part of measures to reduce poverty, build the rural economy and to revive the livelihoods of persons affected during the pandemic.
The coordinator, who highlighted areas of intervention that had received serious attention for the result achieved, said about 6,000 less privileged persons receiving N10,000 monthly, while over 11, 000 farmers had benefitted from NG-CARES agriculture development initiative in the State.
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He added, they have support 100 communities with 73 classroom blocks, chairs and tables, instructional materials, 89 health facilities and 73 solar-powered water facilities in the State.
BusinessDay reports that the NG-CARES team visited the new solar powered borehole and newly-constructed primary healthcare centre at Tudun Ukpu, among others, in Lafia.
