No fewer than 44,000 residents of Zamfara State have directly benefited from the ongoing NG-CARES programme aimed at addressing the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was disclosed by Governor Dauda Lawal during the flag-off of the programme’s new phase in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital on Tuesday.
Governor Lawal noted that the initiative has impacted various vulnerable groups across the state, with interventions in cash transfers, small business grants, and livelihood support schemes.
According to him, these efforts have not only reduced poverty but also contributed to the state’s economic recovery.
He added that the success of Zamfara’s implementation of the programme had earned recognition from the World Bank, with financial gains exceeding N64 billion from three cycles of the programme.
Governor Lawal also announced new measures to further expand the programme’s reach. These include N20,000 monthly support for public workfare participants, N10,000 monthly for the elderly and disabled, and a one-off grant of N150,000 for small businesses, alongside N50,000 grants for special groups.
“The first is Labour-Intensive Public Workfare scheme, each beneficiary will receive N20,000 monthly over a period of one year. To ensure equity and gender sensitivity, 60% of the allocation for this are allocated to women, while the remaining 40% are for men.
“The women’s share will specifically target widows, divorcees, and volunteer hospital workers who have been serving without pay. While the social register is in use, our revered traditional rulers will play an integral role in identifying deserving beneficiaries from their respective communities,” the governor stated.
The governor urged the beneficiaries to use the resources effectively to uplift their livelihood and contribute to the state’s development.
The NG-CARES programme, supported by the World Bank, is designed to provide relief to individuals and businesses affected by the economic challenges of recent years.