Niger Delta
NG-CARES Impacts 1.2m people in Delta
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, says about 1.2 million persons have indirectly been impacted by the Nigeria Community Action Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) in the state.
Oborevwori made the disclosure recently at the NG-CARES, “South -South Independent Verification Agents (IVA) Performance Review Meeting” in Asaba.
The Tide’s source reports that available data indicated that the Federal Cares Support Unit (FCSU)- NG-CARES, a World Bank Supported programme, has impacted no fewer than 17 million people nationally since inception in 2021.
The day’s event had participants drawn from the South-South states of Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Delta.
The Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Kingsley Emu, thanked the World Bank, Federal Government and other key stakeholders for the initiative that had greatly impacted the people of the state.
According to him, the NG-CARES Programme was initially conceived as an emergency intervention to support state governments in addressing the socio-economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said, “However, this initiative has since demonstrated its effectiveness as a robust platform for addressing broader economic shocks and its impact in Delta especially cannot be overemphasised.
“As one of our flagship programmes, the NG-CARES has significantly impacted on the lives of our residents especially in the areas of poverty reduction, economic growth and social development.
“We are glad to state that in Delta we have impacted 306,177 direct beneficiaries and more than 1.2 million indirect beneficiaries thus far.
“We are looking forward to increasing the numbers and strengthening the intervention horizontally and vertically as we proceed to the next phase of NG-CARES 2.0.”
Oborevwori noted that the IVA performance review was critical to defining the next phase of the programme which was geared towards addressing the needs of most vulnerable in local communities through social infrastructure.
“A key feature of this next phase is the community action approach, which empowers communities to drive the programme from the ground up.
“This ensures that interventions meet the real needs of local people, the most vulnerable are reached, and communities take ownership of projects like building and rehabilitating social infrastructure.
“Also by putting communities at the heart of planning and implementation, NG-CARES will deliver deeper impact, stronger accountability, and more sustainable development at the grassroots level”, he said.
He added that the IVA played crucial role in intervention programmes by providing unbiased and objective assessment of programmes.
“So, evaluating the effectiveness, credibility and impact of the Independent Verification Agents under NG-CARES1.0 will be a welcome development”, Oborevwori said.
He lauded the World Bank partnership for adding to the state’s successes, saying that the programme aligned perfectly with the M.O.R.E Agenda of his administration, which was focused on creating opportunities for all and enhancing social services.
“Our commitment to social welfare, as a key pillar of the M.O.R.E Agenda, is evident in several landmark initiatives. Recently, we launched the Widows’ Welfare Scheme, which provides financial and healthcare support to 10,000 widows across the state”, the Governor added.
In his remarks, the World Bank Task Team Leader, Dr Lire Ersado, said that about 700 million Dollars was the support by World Bank for the programme nationally, while the states have spent about 2.2 billion dollars nationally for the programme.
He said the states were financing the programmes on their own in partnership with the World Bank, adding that Delta was putting much more resources to finance the programme.
He noted that the reason for the IVA review was to ensure that the programme reached out to the right beneficiaries in the states, adding that verification outcome would determine the launch to level 2.0 of the programme.
“The performance review is to see if we have the right partners and that whatever services we are providing is having the right impact on the right people”, Ersado said.
He charged the participants to speak out and to provide all necessary evidence that would help at the all stakeholders meeting holding in Abuja.
In their separate remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Abubakar Bagudu and the National Coordinator, NG-CARES Programme, Dr Abdulkarim Obaje, represented, tasked stakeholders to evaluate justify and ensure the objectives of NG-CARES are realised.
The Coordinator of the Programme in Delta, Dr Patience Ogbewe, in her opening remarks said the review process was also taking place in Nasaraw and Kebbi states simultaneously.
She urged the stakeholders to engage constructively, adding that four rounds of assessments had been conducted on the programme.
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Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has assured corps members deployed to the state of improved welfare and a supportive service year.
Okpebholo gave the assurance at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ Stream I corps members last Friday at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Permanent Orientation Camp in Okada.
The Governor also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, safety and entrepreneurship.
Represented by the Commissioner for Youth Affairs, Mrs. Charity Amayaenvbo, the Governor urged corps members to embrace innovation, community service and self-reliance rather than wait for white-collar jobs.
“Edo is committed to supporting youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and incentives that turn ideas into enterprises.
“Do not wait for jobs, create value. Wherever you are posted, serve your host community with humility, dedication and compassion.
“Have a positive footprint and let your service contribute to unity, productivity and progress,” he said.
Okpebholo assured the corps members that the state government was attentive to their welfare and had started addressing key concerns raised by the NYSC leadership.
“On behalf of the state government, I assure you of our support in terms of safety, an enabling environment and a rewarding service year.
“I listened carefully to the requests highlighted by the state coordinator, and I am glad to inform you that some of them have already been captured in the 2026 budget, which has been approved and signed into law,” he said.
The Governor noted that provisions for accommodation, meal subsidies, logistics and the construction of a multipurpose hall at the camp were included in the budget.
Earlier in her address, the Edo State Coordinator of the NYSC, Dr. Frances Ben-Ushie, described the ceremony as a reflection of the state government’s commitment to youth development and national integration.
Ben-Ushie said as of midnight on Thursday, a total of 1,235 prospective corps members, comprising 531 males and over 700 females, had been duly registered.
She congratulated the corps members on their enlistment into what she described as a “noble scheme,” urging them to embrace discipline, learning and active participation throughout the orientation course.
“The NYSC platform provides a unique avenue to meet people from diverse backgrounds, build lifelong friendships and create networks that can open doors to greater opportunities,” she said.
Ben-Ushie also highlighted the contributions of the NYSC to the state’s development, noting that the scheme had consistently provided skilled manpower, promoted labour mobility and strengthened national unity.
She cited initiatives such as the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers and the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme as key interventions benefiting communities across the state.
The NYSC coordinator commended the state government for its support, including the provision of buses for corps members, and appealed for further intervention to address lingering operational challenges at the orientation camp.
She expressed confidence that resolving the issues would enhance the effectiveness of NYSC programmes in the state and thanked the Governor for prioritising the welfare, security and growth of corps members.
The Edo chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday condemned the state government’s reported plan to establish a state-owned airline.
The party, in a statement by its Edo State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Dan Osa-Ogbegie, described the proposal as a misplaced priority and evidence of poor, disconnected governance.
The Tide’s source reports that the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, unveiled the airline plan during a meeting with Aviation Minister, Mr. Festus Keyamo, in Abuja.
Osa-Ogbegie said the proposal showed a government out of touch with the pressing challenges confronting Edo State residents.
“At a time of decaying infrastructure and stalled projects, establishing an airline is unrealistic and profoundly insensitive”, he said.
He argued that airlines were capital-intensive and technically demanding, noting that similar state-owned ventures in Nigeria had largely failed.
According to him, Benin has become a shadow of what a modern state capital should be.
He decried poor roads, collapsed urban planning, neglected drainage systems and weak municipal services across the state capital.
“This is a crying shame for a city of Benin’s history, heritage and enormous potential”, he said.
Osa-Ogbegie said several inherited projects had stalled or deteriorated, eroding investor confidence and undermining economic growth.
He accused the governor of pursuing “white elephant projects that offer optics without substance.”
He also cited ongoing flyover projects in parts of Benin as examples of poor prioritisation.
Against this background, he described the airline proposal as diversionary and lacking economic sense.
“When roads are barely motorable and services overstretched, proposing an airline betrays an absence of judgment,” he said.
He urged the government to abandon the plan and focus on people-centred priorities that would improve living conditions and spur growth.
“Edo does not need an airline to fly above its problems. It needs a government ready to confront them on the ground,” he said.
He warned that failure to refocus would deepen perceptions of an administration lacking direction, competence and a coherent development agenda.
Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ugep, Cross River State, have protested to the Governor’s Office in Calabar over an alleged plan to appoint a non-indigene as Rector for the institution.
Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the students demanded respect for catchment area policy, local content, and the appointment of an indigene of the state as Rector of the institution.
Speaking on behalf of the students in Calabar, Stephen Etem said the protest sought to alert the Federal and Cross River State Governments to an alleged deviation from the established rectorial selection process.
Etem said a Governing Council, chaired by Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa, was constituted by the Federal Government to conduct the Rector selection exercise.
“The screening, which began last year, reportedly produced a Cross River State indigene as highest scorer and recommended candidate.
“Information available to us suggests that the alleged recommended candidate’s name might be substituted at the Federal Ministry of Education.
“We urge the Federal Government to uphold the council’s recommendation because altering the process could threaten peace in the institution,” he noted.
Responding at the Government House, Mr. Goddie Akpama, the Special Adviser on Intelligence to the State Governor, Bassey Otu, appealed for calm, saying the Governor was away but would be briefed.
Akpama advised the students to submit written petitions through appropriate channels, avoid inflammatory language, and engage authorities to ensure stability and uninterrupted academic activities.
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