The Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has directed the State Implementation Unit for the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus program to, as a matter of urgency, work out the necessary modalities of assisting the state to access additional financing from the programme.
The governor gave the directive at the official launching and distribution of ICT enhancement facilities to 7,000 beneficiaries under the NG-CARES held on Saturday at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Bauchi.
Governor Mohammed revealed that, at the moment, the World Bank has generously provided an additional financing package of $500 million to support the rollout of the next phase of NG-CARES 2.0 where the participating state will access $12 million with an additional $46 million set aside as unallocated funds to be redistributed during the program’s mid-term review meeting.
He noted that the successful implementation of the NG-CARES Result Area 3, in Bauchi which focuses on strengthening the capacities of small and medium enterprises through the distribution of ICT enhancement facilities worth over 1 billion naira was made possible through the invaluable assistance of the World Bank and assured the partners that NG-CARES 2.0 would be fully implemented in the state.
According to him, the distribution of ICT enhancement facilities marks a significant milestone in the collective efforts to harness the power of technology for sustainable development in the state and to alleviate poverty through the empowerment of the people.
The governor pointed out, “With these tools, our youths, small business owners, farmers, and traders will now have the means to expand their businesses, improve their livelihoods, and contribute to the economy in a more meaningful way.
“This program is not just about distributing technology. It is about creating a sustainable ecosystem where businesses can thrive and poverty can be reduced.
“My administration remains fully committed to tackling poverty in Bauchi State. As we have shown with this program, addressing poverty requires multi-faceted solutions. This is why we will continue to work closely with the World Bank and other development partners to expand and strengthen our social protection programs,” he added.
Mohammed reiterated the unwavering commitment of his administration towards empowering its citizens with the tools needed to create opportunities, build resilience, and participate meaningfully in economic development and insisted that his vision for Bauchi is to be a state where every citizen, regardless of background, has access to the resources required to succeed.
On his part, the National Coordinator of the NG-CARES program, represented by the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Atiku Musa, congratulated Bauchi on the milestones achieved in the implementation of the program and highlighted that the distribution of the ICT gadgets is a key component of the NG-CARES initiative.
He explained that the program is designed to promote digital inclusion and empower beneficiaries with the skills and tools needed to thrive in today’s technology-driven world.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Sadiq Shira said the initiative reaffirms Governor Mohammed’s vision of leveraging technology for economic growth and underscores Bauchi State’s commitment to empowering its citizens in the digital era.
He stressed that the distributed gadgets include smartphones, tablets, laptops, and POS machines providing recipients with access to digital tools that will help them improve their businesses, education, and overall livelihoods.
“I would like to express my proud gratitude to His Excellency for his visionary leadership and continued support for the advancement of small and medium enterprises in Bauchi State and, in particular, for making this initiative a reality. We are not in this for notoriety but to paint the right colours on the fabric of history so that posterity will be right by us,” Shira stated.