Not less than 52,456 poor and vulnerable residents of Kaduna state are currently benefiting from the $20 million COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (KAD-CARES) programme ongoing in the state.
KAD-CARES is an initiative of the World Bank to mitigate economic and social challenges created by Covid-19 pandemic across the 36 Nigerian states and FCT in three thematic areas namely; Social Transfer, Agriculture Support and Strengthening the Capabilities of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Kaduna state Commissioner for Planning and Budget Commission, Hajiya Umma Yusuf Aboki, stated this on Thursday in Kaduna while addressing a Media Breakfast Engagement on increasing the media awareness and participation on Kad-Cares, organized by the state Planning and Budget Commission in collaboration with JALAD Media Concept.
She said, “There was a loan from the World Bank and the Federal Government with different criteria and result areas for states to chose from. We are concentrating on Social Transfer to the poor across the communities; agriculture to ensure food security; and strenghtening capability of MSMEs.”
The Kaduna state Coordinator, KAD-CARES, Malam Badamasi Musa, said, “it is a credit of $750 million provided by the World Bank for 36 states and FCT, with each state getting $20 million. It is a two-year programme which runs between December 2020 and June 2023.
“The programme aimed at ensuring social transfer, monthly youth intensive labour work; agriculture support, input support upgrading rural infrastructure and creating access to agriculture sites; support MSMEs, servicing existing loans and IT support to MSMEs.”
He explained that the outcomes are, increased social transfers, basic services, and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households, increasing food security and safe functioning of food supply chains, and facilitating recovery and enhancing capabilities of MSMEs.
He said the beneficiaries would cut accross the three key result areas especially those that were adversely affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Beneficiaries are expected to be mined from the state social registers, farmers register and others state registers generated or built through a transparent and acceptable process in line with the key performance indicators,” the state coordinator said.
