Kogi Launches NG-CARES to Support Vulnerable Households, Farmers in Lokoja
For vulnerable households, struggling farmers and communities in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, a new government intervention is promising a combination of financial support, livelihood opportunities and agricultural assistance to help families cope with poverty.
The Kogi State Government has officially flagged off the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme in Lokoja, with interventions planned across all 10 wards of the local government area.
The programme was launched at the Lokoja Local Government Council Secretariat by the Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Yahaya Farouk, who described NG-CARES as a coordinated intervention designed to support vulnerable people and strengthen household livelihoods.
Farouk said the programme, initiated by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, would provide assistance through cash transfers, livelihood grants, farm inputs, agricultural support and community and social development projects.
For families facing economic pressure, the intervention is expected to provide immediate assistance while also supporting opportunities that can help beneficiaries earn sustainable incomes.
273 Polling Units to Benefit
The Commissioner said the programme had been structured around polling units, covering 273 polling units across the 10 wards in Lokoja Local Government Area.
He explained that the approach was intended to ensure that beneficiaries across communities were reached fairly and that projects could be monitored at the grassroots.
“The intervention is structured to ensure transparency and equitable distribution of the projects across the 273 polling units,” Farouk said.
He also stressed the importance of involving political office holders and other stakeholders from the 10 wards in the implementation process.
According to him, their participation would help coordinate activities, monitor delivery and ensure that responsibilities were carried out in line with the programme’s plan.
From Cash Support to Farming
NG-CARES combines immediate social support with interventions designed to strengthen livelihoods.
While cash transfers are expected to assist vulnerable households with pressing needs, livelihood grants and agricultural inputs are targeted at helping beneficiaries build or improve sources of income.
For farmers, access to inputs and other agricultural support could help reduce some of the barriers to production while strengthening food and household security.
Farouk appealed to party executives, political office holders and other stakeholders in Lokoja to put aside differences and work together to ensure the programme reaches those it is designed to help.
He stressed that cooperation and harmony among stakeholders would be critical to the successful implementation of the intervention.
‘Support for Vulnerable Families’
One of the political stakeholders at the event, Alhaji Danladi Bababudon, commended Governor Ododo for introducing the initiative.
Bababudon said the programme would provide support to vulnerable households and communities across Lokoja and other local government areas of the state.
The launch comes at a time when many households are looking for ways to cope with rising living costs and maintain sustainable livelihoods.
For beneficiaries, the real measure of NG-CARES will ultimately be how quickly and transparently the promised support reaches their homes, farms and communities—and whether it helps families move beyond immediate relief towards more secure livelihoods.
