Remarks by Governor Nasir El-Rufai at the Inauguration of the Kaduna CARES Steering Committee

Remarks by Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the inauguration of the Steering Committee of Kaduna COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (Kaduna CARES), held on 24^th May 2021

 

PROTOCOLS

 

1. The arrival of Covid-19 in Nigeria early in 2020 has had a devastating impact on jobs and livelihoods. The lockdown that was imposed as part of containment measures against the virus severely affected incomes, as businesses were limited and restricted in the first phase of Kaduna State’s response.

 

2. A significant reopening of the economy has been on for several months, but the recovery from last year’s forced contraction and economic difficulties continues. The Kaduna State Government is especially eager to support the acceleration and expansion of this recovery to help businesses regain markets, revenue and confidence.

 

3. Therefore, we are delighted to commence the Kaduna State COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Programme (Kaduna CARES). This is an intervention by the World Bank, through the Federal Government, to help stimulate sub-national economies and help their recovery from the economic devastation caused by Covid-19. We warmly welcome the loan of $20m that the World Bank is providing to support states in helping people and businesses get back in their strides.

 

4. The Kaduna CARES programme is designed to help restore the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, maintaining food security and facilitating recovery of small and medium scale enterprises.

 

5. Kaduna CARES is structured as a Programme for Results (PforR) to deliver results in three key areas:

 

i. Result Area 1: Increased social transfers, basic services and livelihood support to the poor and vulnerable households

ii. Result Area 2: Increase food security and safe functioning of food supply chain;

iii. Result Area 3: Facilitating recovery of SMEs through grants

 

6. Outcomes from the three result areas reinforce each other. Enhancing the consumption of poor and vulnerable households, together with employment and livelihood grants can help boost demand for the agricultural produce of farmers and food suppliers, and other goods and services offered by SMEs.

 

7. In result area one, 33,022 households are expected to benefit directly, while over 180,000 people will benefit indirectly. For result area 2, a total of 16,420 farmers will benefit directly, while over 100,000 people will benefit indirectly. For result area 3, a total number of 2,787 businesses will benefit directly, while over 60,000 people will benefit indirectly.

 

8. Beneficiaries of the programme will be mined from the State’s social register, farmers’ register and other State databases generated or built through a transparent and acceptable process in line with the key performance indicators.

 

9. Kaduna CARES will be driven by a steering committee with the following senior officials as members:

i. Commissioner, Planning and Budget (Chairman),

ii. Commissioner of Finance

iii. Commissioner of Business, Innovation and Technology

iv. Commissioner of Agriculture

v. Commissioner of Local Government

vi. Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development

vii. Focal Person – Social Investment Programme

viii. General Manager, Community and Social Development Agency

 

10. The program will be coordinated by the State CARES Coordinating Unit (SCCU), domiciled at the Planning and Budget Commission

 

11. The mandate of the State CARES Steering Committee (SCSC) includes:

 

i. Responsibility for providing oversight and policy guidance for the implementation of the CARES programme in Kaduna State in accordance with the Operations Manual.

ii. Meeting quarterly to consider issues affecting the CARES Programme in the State as may be brought before it by the SCCU including the monitoring report of the State Cares Coordinating Unit (SCCU) for appropriate action.

iii. The SCSC shall consider and approve the annual work plan and budget of the SCCU and clear the work plan and budgets of the Delivery Platforms that are to be funded from the CARES resources.

iv. The SCSC shall provide update on the implementation of the Programme to the Governor every six months or as may be required through the Chairman of the SCSC.

 

12. The duration of the Kaduna CARES programme is 24 months between 2021 to 2023.

 

13. The programme will be implemented with 4 agencies as delivery platforms:

a) Conditional Cash Transfer Unit of the Social Investment Office,

 b) Community and Social Development Agency,

 c) FADAMA Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, and

 d) Kaduna Industrialisation and Micro-credit Board.

 

14. It is my pleasure to inaugurate the State Steering Committee of Kaduna CARES. Kaduna CARES is meant to benefit our people and their businesses. All our officials that are involved in delivering it know that they are expected to be rigorous, objective and uncompromising in ensuring that this program reaches its target.

 

15. This is not an opportunity to play favourites or to skew outcomes to the people you wish to patronise. It will be a violation of your oaths of office and the trust reposed in you to entertain or permit those who see every programme that is designed to benefit ordinary people as a chance for allocating slots.

 

16. I wish you every success in contributing to further uplifting our people through this Kaduna CARES programme.