The Federal Government has expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its approval of an additional $500 million for the second phase of the Nigerian Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.

The World Bank had earlier provided an initial $750 million for the programme’s first phase, which ended early this year.
However, following the programme’s success and the level of impact it has had in empowering vulnerable Nigerians across the 36 states and the FCT, the Federal Government requested further support from the World Bank.

According to available statistics, NG-CARES 1.0 directly impacted over 17 million Nigerians, assisted communities in constructing schools and health facilities, revitalised small businesses, and supported smallholder farmers, among other initiatives.

The first phase of the programme also enjoyed strong commitment from the 36 states and FCT, which collectively invested over $2.2 billion in its implementation.

The programme is implemented under the performance for result (P4R) model, in which states are reimbursed after implementing the programme, and the results are verified by independent verification agents.
National Coordinator of NG-CARES, Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, in his reaction to the approval of the additional financing from the World Bank, said it is a major milestone in the federal government’s efforts to expand social protection support to poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

He said, “This additional financing will spur governments at all levels to deepen and strengthen economic resilience among poor and vulnerable households, smallholder farmers and small businesses affected by economic shocks.”

Obaje, who spoke on the sidelines of a fraud and corruption prevention workshop organised for the personnel of NG-CARES in Abuja, said with this additional financing, states and the FCT can commence full implementation of NG-CARES by delivery platforms and coordination units, as this will be reimbursed after Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) have done their verifications.

He thanked the World Bank for its sustained partnership and support for Nigeria’s pro-poor and economic inclusion interventions.

Speaking at the fraud and corruption prevention workshop for workers of NG-CARES, Dr. Obaje said the training was necessary to educate the staff on what constituted corruption and how to prevent it.

“Because of the unique job we are doing to help vulnerable Nigerians, it would be scandalous for any of us to be associated with anything corrupt or fraudulent,” He said.

Earlier in his speech, Director, Economic Growth, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Auwal Muhammad, said the training is timely and demonstrates the leadership of NG-CARES’s zero tolerance for corruption.

“As we prepare for NG-CARES additional financing, the expectations for transparency and accountability are even higher,” he said, adding, “The programme’s credibility depends on the integrity of its processes and that responsibility lies with all of us here today. “Fraud, corruption and misuse of programme funds undermine not only our collective work but also the trust of citizens who rely on NG-CARES for their survival and economic resilience.”

He said this is why equipping the teams with the right knowledge and tools to prevent, detect and report fraud is a critical step as the programme moves into the next operational cycle.