The Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, funded by the World Bank, is providing financial support to 12,423 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to boost agricultural productivity and economic recovery.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Lawan Geidam, announces this during the inauguration of a Pre-Field Training for Enumerators in Gwagwalada. The enumerators will collect field data for the FCT FADAMA CARES programme as part of preparations for the Endline and Beneficiaries Impact Assessment Survey.
Geidam confirms that the World Bank has approved a second phase of the FCT FADAMA COVID-19 NG-CARES initiative, following the success of the initial phase. The programme, now called Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES 2.0), is scheduled to begin in June.
He states that NG-CARES 1.0 successfully distributed grants to 12,423 farmers from 181 Farmers Community Associations across the FCT. Of these, 8,190 beneficiaries, accounting for 66% of total disbursements, received support within two years.
According to Geidam, the programme serves as an emergency response initiative to help farmers recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing essential financial aid to poor and vulnerable farmers since 2022.
Geidam highlights the programme’s role in strengthening food security and nutrition in the FCT. He commends the progress made in the first phase and reassures beneficiaries of continued support in the second phase.
He urges the newly trained enumerators to take their responsibilities seriously, emphasizing that their work is crucial in evaluating NG-CARES 1.0’s impact and ensuring the smooth rollout of NG-CARES 2.0.
The Acting FCT FADAMA CARES Coordinator, Hussaini Iliyasu, reiterates that the programme’s primary goal is to ensure food security and sustain the agricultural supply chain. He emphasizes that NG-CARES serves as a World Bank-funded budget support initiative, targeting low-income households engaged in agriculture.
Additionally, the FCT CARES Coordinator, Uba Bala, announces that the World Bank has recommended a Programme Completion Report to assess NG-CARES 1.0’s effectiveness and highlight areas for improvement.
To support the programme’s implementation, office equipment has been distributed to FCT FADAMA CARES desk offices across the six area councils, reinforcing the programme’s operational framework.
 programme, funded by the World Bank, is providing financial support to 12,423 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to boost agricultural productivity and economic recovery.){kind=link}