Lagos State Launches $20m Lagos Cares Package Targeting Over 145,000 Households
Lagos Cares initiative is meant to support poor and vulnerable households as well as boost food security in Nigeria’s economic nerve state and epicentre of the coronavirus disease.
The programme, which will be implemented for 24 months, is being funded through $750 million facility secured from the World Bank by the Federal Government for Nigeria-CARES project with other states also benefiting.
At least 20,843 households and 125,058 individuals within Lagos are targeted to directly and indirectly share from $20 million COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus otherwise known as ‘Lagos Cares’.
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It encompasses three key result areas. These include increased cash transfers and livelihood support to poor and vulnerable households, and food security and safe supply of same to poor households. It will also facilitate the recovery of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSMEs), while strengthening institutional support for coordination and delivery.
At the launch of the scheme at the Government House, Ikeja, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu assured that the programme will be inclusive as it is packaged to specifically impact women and the youth. Its implementation, he noted, cuts across relevant ministries, including Sustainable Development Goals and Investment (SDG&I), women affairs and poverty alleviation, finance, wealth creation, and agriculture.
“Today marks another milestone in our effort to combat the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our households, livelihood, food security and businesses.
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“The Lagos Cares programme will be implemented between 2021 and 2023, and will provide economic relief and recovery support to identified vulnerable persons. During the 24 months, the programme will directly support vulnerable households and indirectly support 125,058 individuals. There will also be interventions in 69 markets, while a minimum of 2,512 MSMEs will be supported,” said Sanwo-Olu.
To effectively implement the programme, the state government has set up the State’s CARES Steering Committee (SCSC). The committed is co-headed by the commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Sam Egube, and special adviser on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Solape Hammond. The government also inaugurated the State’s Cares Coordinating Unit (SCCU) that will work directly with the delivery platforms of the three result areas for result monitoring and coordination.
The co-head, Egube said the project would address the loss of jobs and threat to the food supply chain occasioned by the spread of the pandemic. He added that the programme would leverage existing World Bank’s operations anchored on community-based approach and multi-sector interventions.
For more information please visit https://lsetf.ng/content/lagos-cares
