In the bid to eradicate poverty and to resolve the challenges of the poor and vulnerable individuals, groups and businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Kwara State Government on Tuesday hosted the leadership of the NG-CARES program on their mid-term review meeting so as to get more feedback and adequate information on the program in order to know what actually work and what does not work so as to be able to re-strategize on how best to repackage the program for more impact and effectiveness.
According to a Statement by the Hon. Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru while addressing the team from the World Bank and Federal Team, stated that the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is committed to ameliorating the suffering of the people especially those who were hit by the Covid-19 pandemic through several social interventions programs.
She stressed that as the Chairperson of the Steering Committee of NG-CARES in Kwara State, she will ensure the committee will re-strategize on how best more poor and vulnerables can be captured under the scheme to support citizens across several sectors for improved standard of living and wellbeing.
In his own remark, the World Bank Task Team Leader for NG-CARES, Professor Foluso Okunmadewa said that the State Government need to inject more resources in the implementation of NG- CAREs so as to achieve more results and bring more poor and vulnerable groups out of poverty which would eventually enable the State to access more reimbursement from the World Bank.
The Task Team Leader noted that Kwara NG-CARES Team is blessed with capable and experienced hands who are doing exceedingly well in the discharge of their duties noting that, the State in the past won best Cash Transfer award in Nigeria in Washington DC for their transparency, accountability and efficiency in the discharge of their duty.
On his part, Chairman Federal CARES Technical Committee, Mr. Aso Vapkoraye, emphasised that the program would drastically reduce rate of poverty occasioned by the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
He added that, performing States will be supported for the third phase of the NG-CARES program adding that the more the Governments at the State levels inject funds in NG-CARES Program, the more they will be access funds through reimbursement from the achieved results and make further impacts on the vulnerable groups.
The National Coordinator for NG-CARES – Dr. Abdulkareem Obaje appreciated the leadership of the State Government for it relentlessly effort to sustain the activities of the NG-CARES in Kwara State while urging the State to inject more resources into the scheme as there are still lots of ground to be covered.
The General Manager, Kwara State Social Investment Program (KWASSIP) – Dr Tejidini Olayinka stated that the State Governor has demonstrated his unresolved commitment to provide succor to the yearnings of the less privileged adding that NG-CARES program has been the best platform to respond to the needs and aspirations of the poor people in the State.
Meanwhile, the State NG-CARES Coordinator Mr. Ibiyinka Olatunde expressed his pleasure for hosting the leadership of NG-CARES both from the World Bank and the Federal, stating that the NG-CARES program has been a veritable tool in lifting the poor and the vulnerable households and businesses in Kwara State out of poverty and that the program is making impact in the State.
He added that interventions by the NG-CARES Delivery Platforms has been commendable, assuring that more effort will be put to the program in order to achieve even better results and successes.
Join our twitter community :