NG-CARES Funds To The Rescue?

Amidst the current hardship which has engendered a call for protest, the federal government recently released over N438billion to 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory, as reimbursement under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.

The programme ‘aims to expand access to livelihood support and food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms.’ As part of the programme, the government also earmarked N700m to support the states in their efforts to mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

NG-CARES also strives to increase cash transfers support to poor Nigerians, ensure a rise in “food security and safe functioning of food supply chains for poor households; and enable recovery of medium and small enterprises.

Basically, the NG-CARES programme is designed to mitigate the negative impact of the socioeconomic shocks occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, it aims to address other shocks through the provision of grants and basic social infrastructure services in poor communities.

Funds from the programme are channeled towards various projects, including social safety nets, food security and support to small businesses with the most vulnerable Nigerians as the main target.

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Remarkably, the National Coordinator of NG-CARES Programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje said the funds were disbursed based on the results achieved by the states and FCT during the third Independent Verification Agency assessment carried out in January 2024.

Zamfara State topped the list with N49 billion followed by Nasarawa state which earned N27 billion while Plateau state emerged the third highest earner with N26 billion.fathe0

“This 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,” the coordinator noted.

The disbursement couldn’t have come at a better time. It came when Nigerians were planning to stage a protest against the raging hunger, rising cost of living and among other debilitating conditions under which most citizens barely survive.

It is interesting to note that as a social intervention package, the fund is principally to address hunger and enhance the living conditions of the citizenry which is at its worst stage ever in the history of the nation.

With the National Bureau of Statistics’ data showing that an alarming 63 per cent (about 133 million Nigerians) are multidimensionally poor, most of whom are scattered across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, there is the need to interrogate efforts by the subnational governments to combat poverty.

How have the states fared thus far in addressing the challenges of multi-dimensional poverty? Do these interventions really get to people that truly need them? Since these interventions are short term measures, what sustainability plans are in place for a lasting solution to hunger?

As the states settle down to expend the latest disbursement, we would like to remind managers of such funds that the money is targeted at social intervention programmes and must be deployed for such without prejudice so as to bring succour and meaningful improvement to the lives of many poor and underserved Nigerians.

History of such funds are replete with abuses and widespread allegations that governors either outrightly divert the funds or misapplied them in areas not in line with the objectives for which the monies were given.

In our  opinion, since this disbursement is made at a time there is a feeling of angst across the country, arising principally from the rising cost of living, state governments can do well to ensure effective deployment of the funds to the vulnerable to help cushion the impact of the current hardship.

We urge citizens to monitor how the state governments expend the NG-CARES funds by insisting that they are spent in ways that will provide immediate relief to the vulnerable and poor Nigerians, smallholder farmers and  Medium and  Small Enterprises (MSEs).

Without doubt, the NG-CARES programme is plausible since its objectives are to protect the livelihoods and ensure food security for especially the poor and vulnerable families and facilitate the recovery of local economic activity. For the citizens to effectively benefit, concerted efforts must be made to realise these noble objectives and that begins with judicious utilisation of the funds.