Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, has announced that approximately 1.2 million individuals have been indirectly affected by the Nigeria Community Action Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) program in the state.
Gov. Oborevwori shared this information on Tuesday during the NG-CARES south-south independent verification agents’ performance review meeting held in Asaba.
The event featured participants from Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, and Delta States.
The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Emu, expressed gratitude to the World Bank, the federal government, and other key stakeholders for their contributions to the initiative, which has significantly benefited the people of Delta State.
He explained that the NG-CARES program was originally designed as an emergency response to help state governments manage the socio-economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“However, this initiative has proven to be an effective platform for addressing broader economic challenges, and its impact in Delta cannot be overstated,” he said.
“As one of our key programs, NG-CARES has greatly influenced the lives of our residents, particularly in terms of poverty alleviation, economic growth, and social development.
“We are pleased to report that in Delta, we have reached 306,177 direct beneficiaries and over 1.2 million indirect beneficiaries to date.
“We aim to increase these numbers and enhance the intervention both horizontally and vertically as we move into the next phase of NG-CARES 2.0.”
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Gov. Oborevwori emphasized that the performance review is essential for shaping the next phase of the program, which focuses on addressing the needs of the most vulnerable individuals in local communities through social infrastructure.
“A key aspect of this next phase is the community action approach, which empowers communities to lead the program from the grassroots level.
“This ensures that interventions align with the actual needs of local residents, that the most vulnerable are reached, and that communities take ownership of projects such as building and rehabilitating social infrastructure.
“By placing communities at the center of planning and implementation, NG-CARES will achieve a greater impact, enhanced accountability, and more sustainable development at the local level,” he stated.
He also noted the important role of the IVA in intervention programs by providing impartial and objective evaluations.
“Therefore, assessing the effectiveness, credibility, and impact of the Independent Verification Agents under NG-CARES 1.0 will be a positive development,” Gov. Oborevwori concluded.
