The World Bank has said that its programme, Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus is on the right track in supporting the poor and vulnerable groups in the country.
The Task Team Leader for Nigeria, Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa, stated this on Monday in Abuja, at a Ministerial Town Hall Meeting on NG-CARES Programme with Stakeholders, States and the FCT officials as well as beneficiaries to obtain and document information on achievements and challenges from direct beneficiaries.
He said the the bank was very proud to be a partner of the Federal and State Governments on the NG-CARES initiative.
According to a News Agency of Nigeria report, he stated that so far there had been substantial results and evidence that this approach is actually on the right track despite some of the challenges.
He said, ”We are actually very proud and of course excited to be part of this Ministerial Town Hall. We are quite happy when the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, indicated that it is not only good to claim that there are results.
”Even though it was done by an Independent Verification Firm, it is also important to hear from the beneficiaries and particularly to do so in the presence of those who are in charge of delivering the results.
”I thought and I believe and that is also what we understand in the bank that it is the correct meaning of eye marking because when you do it in the presence of everyone then there is no dispute.
”And particularly if you bring the media in, then everybody will be able to confirm that this is reality of what has happened.”
Okunmadewa revealed that the World Bank was prepared to do an extension of the closing date which would be concluded in the next one week.
This, according to him, will allow the states to repurpose their resources apart from the ones that they have earned in the direction of other shops as well.
”It was not only COVID-19, we now have some other shops and fortunately the programme is designed in such a way that it can always help the state to respond to any vulnerability such as the one that happened recently on the flooding which affected a substantial number of states,” he added.
