Zamfara leads as FG gives states N45.3bn NG-cares funds

The federal government has said Zamfara State performed best in the utilisation of the first tranche of N45.3 billion grants to 36 states and the FCT under NG-CARES programme to cushion the COVID-19 pandemic effects.

The federal government had in 2022 secured a $750 million credit facility from the World Bank to support the 36 states and the FCT to implement programmes under the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES).

The credit, which is on lent with each state allocated $20m and the FCT $15m is for emergency relief, to vulnerable and poor Nigerians, smallholder farmers and SMEs that were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Minister of State for Finance Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said the performance of Zamfara led to the reimbursement of the sum of N4.3bn in the second tranche of the fund.

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Speaking during a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, Agba said Zamfara received N5.2bn being the highest from the disbursed N45.3bn, followed by Bauchi with N4.2bn and Ondo with N3.8bn.

He said the independent report on the first tranche of N35.3bn disbursed to all states indicated that seven states were unable to repay the advance, which include Benue, Ebonyi, Kogi, Taraba, Enugu and Ogun, while one state Imo, did not earn any result in the first round.