Kebbi injects N3bn into COVID-19 support programme

Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba-Geza, made the declaration in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday at a one-day sensitisation workshop.

The workshop was on the Role and Responsibilities of Local Government Leads and Gender Officers in “NG-CARES Result Area 3’’ of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop, organised by Result Area 3 Delivery Platform of the ministry, drew participants from all the 21 local government areas of the state.

Garba-Geza said the workshop was meant to sensitise field officers from the 21 local government areas to prepare them to serve in the Medium and Small Enterprises (MSE) programme of the NG-CARES.

“The `Result Area 3’ is one of the three delivery platforms for the NG-CARES programme in the state.

“The delivery platform will implement the project through the Disbursement Link Indicators (DLI 3.2) operational grant funds to assist business owners on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,’’ he said.

A cross section of participants during a sensitisation workshop for NG-CARES Field Officers in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday. (NAN) Pulse Nigeria

In her remarks, the Coordinator, NG-CARES in Kebbi, Hajiya Ruqayya Mohammed-Bawa, described field officers as the main stakeholders in the programme.

She said this was in recognition of the fact that the programme depended solely on them for holistic results from the field.

She challenged the field officers to put more efforts to achieve maximum results.

“You cannot do anything off the book; you have to contact the headquarters and specifically the SME unit of the ministry.

“Anything done off the book will be detrimental to the programme,’’ Mohammed-Bawa said.

In an address of welcome earlier, Head of Delivery Platform, Malam Danladi Aliyu-Dabai recalled that NG-CARES was designed to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the people.

“The intervention is done through three result areas targeting access to livelihood support, food security services and grant for poor and vulnerable households and firms,’’ he said.

According to him, Result Area 3 is specifically targeting Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) affected by the pandemic.

The affected businesses are to be provided grants to lessen the effect of the pandemic and allow them to return to business and retain their employees.

Aliyu-Dabai said “Result Area 3’’ was structured with Leads and Gender Officers in all the 21 local government areas for total coverage and effective delivery of the programme