• Each State gets $20m, FG, FCT get $15m each
Under the arrangement, each state will receive the sum of $20 million over a period of two years while the FCT will get $15 million and the Federal Care Support gets $15 million with effect from June 30, 2021.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, gave the assurance in Abuja, during the handing over of 40 NG-CARES’ operational vehicles to subnational governments by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq.
Agba said: “The Federal Government has approved the Nigeria COVID-19 Action and Recovery and Economic stimulus programme which is a multi-sectoral programme designed to provide immediate emergency relief to vulnerable and poor Nigerians, smallholder farmers, and small and medium enterprises that were adversely affected by COVID-19 pandemic using the World Bank grant of $750 million over a period of two years which is from 2021-2023.”
Agba thanked Umar Farouq for the special role played by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for her untiring efforts and the facilitatory role played by the agencies under her supervision in the preparatory activities of the N- Cares Programme.
In her address, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq handed over 40 operational vehicles for onward distribution to Coordinators of the State NG-CARES.
The vehicles which were procured by the Federal Project Support Unit of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs were handed over to the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning.
Presenting the vehicles, the Minister applauded the World Bank for coming to the aid of the poor and vulnerable people of Nigeria affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to, on behalf of the President and the people of Nigeria, appreciate the World Bank for this wonderful gesture of coming to the aid of the poor and vulnerable people of Nigeria and businesses that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I strongly believe that the vehicles that are being commissioned today will go a long way in assisting the state coordinators of the programme in carrying out the herculean task of alleviating the suffering of ordinary people in the country.
“Let me also commend the efforts of the steering committee for N-CARES and the Federal Cares Technical Committee for their efforts in ensuring that the intervention from the World Bank gets to the people at the grassroots.
“There is no doubt that this assistance from the World Bank will impact on the beneficiaries as well as contribute to the rebuilding of the economy and prosperity in Nigeria. I, therefore, urge the States and the FCT to ensure adequate utilization of the vehicles and the resources from the World Bank to bring happiness to our people.”
The handover of the vehicles was preparatory to the implementation of the NG CARES programme. All states and the FCT are participating in the two-year emergency programme.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
