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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The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.
He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.
The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.
He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.
According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.
“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.
“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.
He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.
According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.
Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.
He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.
The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.
“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.
“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said
In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.
He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.
The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.
He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.
According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.
The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.
The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.
She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.
“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.
“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.
She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.
The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.
The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.
AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.
“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.
“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.
According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.
Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.
“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.
He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.
“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.
Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.
CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.
The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.
Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.