Kwara to bring relief to the poor, vulnerable people

The Kwara state Government shall continue to unveil programs that will bring relief to the poor and vulnerable people in the state.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Mallam Shehu Ndanusa Usman, reiterated while addressing the Community Development Officers (CDOs) from the 16 LGAs at a recent meeting in Ilorin on the activities of LIPW in the state.

Usman urged the CDOs supervising the beneficiaries of the Labour-Intensive Public Workfare, LIPW, to step up their efforts to achieve an appreciable level of success for the scheme in the state.

He commended the smooth working relationship between the staff of LIPW Delivery Platform and the CDOs, describing it as a positive development for the progress of the NG-CARES program in the state.

The ministry, he promised, would intensify monitoring of the program across the 16 LGAs to ensure compliance on the part of the LIPW beneficiaries.

He appreciated the Technical Head, LIPW Delivery Platform, Alhaji Shamsideen Aregbe, for the achievements of the program in the state, emphasizing the commitment of the present administration to continue unveiling programs that will bring relief to the poor and vulnerable people in the state.

Earlier, the Technical Head, Labour Intensive Public Workfare, Alhaji Shamsideen Aregbe, commended the state government for engaging in various schemes and programs that have significantly contributed to improving the standard of living of the poor and vulnerable people in the state.

Aregbe said the LIPW scheme has changed the lives of 6,373 poor and vulnerable individuals across the 16 LGAs in the state, pointing out that some of the beneficiaries could not afford three square meals before but now, thanks to the scheme, they are lifted out of poverty and living better and more comfortable lives in their respective localities.

“It is evident that the LIPW activities under the NG-CARES Program across the 16 LGAs in the state have considerably improved the standard of living of the poor and vulnerable people in all the intervention communities.

Moreover, it has enhanced the economy of these communities in terms of savings, consumption habits, and the level of communal efforts, transforming various communities and the state as a whole.

It is clear that Governor Abdulrazaq’s administration has changed the narrative of the state, particularly in how he has utilized the NG-CARES program and other similar state government programs to positively impact the lives of poor and vulnerable households in the state.”

Meanwhile, over 6,370 beneficiaries of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) program, along with other stakeholders in Kwara state, have expressed appreciation to the government for the two-year intervention scheme, stating that it has had a positive impact on their lives.

Some of the individuals, who spoke at various forums in different parts of the state, stated that the intervention could significantly reduce poverty and hunger in the state if sustained for a longer period.

Speaking during the monthly monitoring exercise in Kaiama and Baruten areas of the state, an NG-CARES stakeholder in Kaiama, Mallam Idris Danjumoh Salihu, described NG-CARES as a relief to youths in the area, stating that it has addressed the issue of youth restiveness in Kaiama and other neighboring communities unlike before, which is a positive development for the state government.

Mallam Salihu, who serves as the Community Development Officer (CDO) and the Desk Officer for the CARES Programme in Kaiama local government, commended Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for facilitating the program and believing in its ability to unlock economic prosperity in the state.

He mentioned that the NG-CARES program in the area had positively impacted the lives of the beneficiaries, similar to previous intervention programs like YESSO and cash transfer.

“Furthermore, the significant amount of cash flow injected into the Kaiama economy every month through the payment of stipends to the beneficiaries is substantial enough to alleviate poverty among the people.”

However, he called on the Kwara state government to increase the number of communities participating in the NG-CARES program so that more beneficiaries could benefit from the intervention.

Addressing the beneficiaries in all the visited communities, the monitoring team sensitized them on the importance of using their stipends judiciously and encouraged them to save for rainy days through the formation of cooperative groups among themselves.

Addressing the Community Development Officers (CDOs) from the 16 LGAs at a recent meeting in Ilorin on the activities of LIPW in the state, the Commissioner for Environment, Mallam Shehu Ndanusa Usman, urged the CDOs supervising the beneficiaries of the Labour Intensive Public Workfare to step up their efforts to achieve an appreciable level of success for the scheme in the state.

NG-CARES is a program specially designed to address the problems of hunger and poverty among the less privileged people in Nigeria and other third-world countries.

It is a support program to state governments by the federal government, facilitated through the World Bank, to mitigate the adverse effects of Covid-19 on the poor and vulnerable in the country.

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