The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said it has received $15 million from the World Bank support of $750 million through the federal government to mitigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide, especially among the poor and vulnerable households and supporting the recovery of local economic activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, who made this known Tuesday during the inauguration of a steering committee to pilot the FCT CARES programme, said the programme would use the money to help restore the livelihood of the poor and vulnerable, maintain food security and facilitate recovery of small and medium scale enterprises.
Adesola, who was represented by the Director, FCT Human Resources Management, Bashir Mohammed, explained that the arrival of COVID-19 in Nigeria in 2020 had a devastating impact on jobs and livelihoods, that the lockdown which was imposed as part of containment measures against the virus severely affected income, as businesses were limited and restricted in the FCT.
According to him, a significant reopening of the economy has been on several months, but the recovery from last year’s forced contraction and economic difficulties continues.
“The FCTA is especially eager to support the acceleration and expansion of this recovery to help businesses regain markets, income, and confidence. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy arising from the global lockdown and its severe negative impact on livelihood and food cannot be overemphasized.
“As a result of this, the federal government in collaboration with the World Bank and the Nigeria Governors Forum developed the States/FCT CARES program to cushion the effect of the pandemic, most especially on the most vulnerable segment of the Nigeria population.
“CARES is a result-oriented program to deliver the results in the following three key areas; result area one; to increased social transfers, basic services, and livelihood support to the poor and vulnerable household, under this, 42,606 individuals are expected to benefit directly, while over 180,000 people will benefit indirectly,” he said.
He further explained that the result area two would be to increase food security and safe functioning of the food supply chain, that under this, a total of 12,293 farmers will benefit directly, while over 100, 000 people will benefit indirectly.
FCTA gets FG’s $15m COVID-19 intervention fund
