Sokoto State will be among the 36 states of the federation that will soon benefit, individually, from a $20 million from the World Bank to enable it recover from the vagaries of the COVID-19 pandemic by reinvigorating its economy.
The facility is being packaged by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Bashir Gidado Jegawa who is also the State focal person for the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Program For Results (Nigeria CARES) program.
According to Jegawa who briefed the state Executive Council on the program Thursday, the disbursement linked indicators (DLIs) for the two years emergency operation facility shows that 38,215 beneficiaries will be targeted under three ‘result areas.’
These include “existing and newly vulnerable as well as poor households, their food chains; and micro and small enterprises affected by COVID-19 impact.”
The breakdown indicates that 3,510 individuals ‘disaggregated by vulnerabilities,’ 33,390 ‘farmers receiving improved seeds,’ and 1,315 ‘firms receiving grants for operational and employment support (fixed grants and wage subsidies),” are the focus of the project.
Billed to kick-off between March and April this year, the project is expected to provide cash transfers and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households, increase food security, prevent collapse of small businesses and “strengthen institutional support for coordination and delivery.
