Arthur Eriye

As part of its commitment to further drive resilience in the agricultural sector, the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) program has approved grants to 12,423 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to boost agricultural productivity and economic recovery.  

The disclosure was made by the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Lawan Geidam, during the inauguration of a Pre-Field Training for Enumerators in Gwagwalada, ahead of the Endline and Beneficiaries Impact Assessment Survey.  

Geidam highlighted the program’s impact, noting that 66% of the disbursed funds were allocated within two years, benefiting 181 farmer’s Community Associations across the FCT. He also announced that, following the success of NG-CARES 1.0, the World Bank has approved additional funding, leading to the launch of an expanded initiative—Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES 2.0)—set to commence in June.  

FCT FADAMA CARES Coordinator, Hussaini Iliyasu, reaffirmed the program’s role in strengthening food security and improving agricultural supply chains. FCT CARES Coordinator, Uba Bala, emphasized the need for a program Completion Report to assess its impact and enhance future implementation. 

As part of efforts to improve program operations, office equipment was distributed to FCT FADAMA CARES desk offices in all six area councils, ensuring better coordination and support for farmers. 

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