Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, has said the 36 states would each get $20 million from the $750 million World Bank as COVID-19 loan covering 2021 to 2023.
Agba, who made the disclosure yesterday while receiving operational vehicles from the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster management, Sadiya Umar Farouq, in Abuja, added that $15 million of the intervention would go the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and another $15 million to the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU).
According to the minister, the effort is part of measures to mitigate effects of the virus. He submitted that the move was consistent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s determination to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
Agba said: “The Nigeria Covid-19 Actions Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) programme is a multi-sectoral programme designed to provide immediate emergency relief to the vulnerable and poor Nigerians, smallholder farmers and SMEs that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic using a World Bank $750 million loan over a period of two years (2021-2023).
“The programme is an emergency one to be driven and implemented by the 36 states and the FCT, using the Programme for Result (PForR) delivery mechanism within three result areas that have option of 11 disbursement linked indicators (DLIs) in the states, with some technical support coming through the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU).
“To ensure that the implementation of the N-CARES is in line with the Federal Government priorities, a preparatory team was set up by my ministry, the Federal CARES Preparatory Team in collaboration with the World Bank Nigeria Team and the states, including the FCT, which worked tirelessly over the last eight months for a seamless takeoff.”
He went on: “The preparatory processes would have met with so many challenges but for the invaluable support of the Federal Project Support Unit (FPSU) of the Community Social Development Programme (CSDP) in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
They have served efficiently as the focal agency facilitating the N-CARES preparation.
“The intervention allocation to each state is $20 million and $15 million to the FCT, while $15 million is for the FCSU.”