GOVERNOR ALIA’S INTERVENTION REPOSITIONS NG-CARES, EMPOWERS OVER 88,000 BENUE RESIDENTS

With 88,109 direct beneficiaries reached by the close of the programme in October 2025, the Benue State component of the World Bank-supported NG-CARES initiative has delivered social transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural assistance and community infrastructure interventions, following renewed government support under Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia.

The administration of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has strengthened the implementation of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme in the state through financial support, the settlement of outstanding beneficiary obligations and continued commitment to interventions targeting poor and vulnerable residents.

Designed to cushion the socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic recovery, the programme has provided assistance to households, farmers, community groups and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) across Benue State.

By the close of the parent programme in October 2025, the Benue State component, known as BN-CARES, had reached 88,109 direct beneficiaries, representing approximately 90 per cent of its revised target of 97,917 beneficiaries.

The results reflect the continued implementation of social protection, livelihood support, food security and community development interventions under the state’s existing delivery structures, with the administration of Governor Alia providing a renewed push after the programme encountered significant financial constraints in its earlier stages.

Governor Alia’s intervention: Restoring momentum

Although implementation of BN-CARES commenced in 2021, the programme initially operated under significant financial constraints and required an advance of ₦1.1 billion to support implementation.

Following his assumption of office on May 29, 2023, Governor Alia’s administration intervened by providing counterpart support amounting to ₦1.15 billion, settling outstanding beneficiary obligations and supporting the continuation of programme activities.

The intervention helped address implementation challenges and contributed to improved performance in subsequent implementation rounds.

The importance of the state government’s support lies in the programme’s design. NG-CARES operates through a results-based financing model under which funds are disbursed against agreed results that must be independently verified. Sustained implementation therefore requires both the delivery of interventions to eligible beneficiaries and the institutional capacity to document and verify the results.

By supporting the programme’s continuation, the Alia administration helped maintain an important framework for delivering assistance to vulnerable populations and strengthening economic resilience across the state.

The programme’s contribution has extended to household welfare, agricultural productivity, community infrastructure and the recovery of small businesses, linking government-supported interventions with the everyday economic needs of residents.

More than 60,000 residents reached by January 2025

The impact of the programme became increasingly visible during the Alia administration.

By January 2025, more than 60,000 residents across Benue State’s 23 local government areas had reportedly been empowered through grants totalling ₦4.9 billion.

The support focused on livelihood development, small businesses and vulnerable groups, including persons living with disabilities.

For beneficiaries, such interventions provide support intended to strengthen livelihoods, sustain productive activities and improve the capacity of households and enterprises to withstand economic pressures.

The programme’s reach across all 23 local government areas also reflects its statewide coverage, extending support beyond major urban centres to communities where access to economic opportunities and basic services remains essential to household wellbeing.

The January 2025 figures represent an important milestone within the wider implementation period, which continued until the close of the parent programme in October 2025.

How NG-CARES supports households, farmers and businesses

The Benue State programme was established as the state component of the World Bank-supported NG-CARES initiative, which was designed to expand access to livelihood support, food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms affected by the economic crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Its interventions were organised around three principal results areas.

1. Social transfers, livelihood support and community services

This component supports poor and vulnerable households through social transfers, livelihood assistance and community-level interventions.

The activities are intended to improve household welfare, strengthen resilience and expand access to basic services through community micro-projects and other targeted support.

Such assistance is particularly important to households facing economic hardship, as it provides a framework for addressing immediate needs while supporting efforts towards more sustainable livelihoods.

2. Food security and agricultural support

Agriculture remains central to the livelihoods of many Benue residents. Support to farmers and food production systems is therefore an important part of the programme.

Through agricultural inputs, productive assets and related assistance, BN-CARES has supported interventions aimed at strengthening food security, improving agricultural productivity and helping farming households sustain their productive activities.

The programme also recognises the importance of food supply chains, through which agricultural products move from producers to markets and consumers.

3. Recovery of Micro and Small Enterprises

Micro and Small Enterprises play an important role in employment, household income and local economic activity.

NG-CARES provides a framework for supporting eligible enterprises through grants and other interventions designed to facilitate recovery and strengthen business capacity.

In Benue State, the programme’s support to small businesses forms part of the broader effort to improve economic resilience and create conditions for enterprises to continue operating despite financial challenges.

Together, the three results areas connect social protection with productive activity, recognising that household welfare, food security and enterprise recovery are closely related.

₦7.87 billion released for programme implementation

Between 2021 and 2025, a total of ₦7.87 billion was released to the Delivery Platforms and the State CARES Coordinating Unit (SCCU) for programme implementation.

Of this amount, approximately ₦5.34 billion, representing 67.9 per cent, was disbursed directly to beneficiaries as grants and programme benefits.

The remaining ₦2.53 billion, representing 32.1 per cent, supported programme delivery and related activities, including supervision, monitoring, verification, office and ICT equipment, a vehicle for Result Area 3 and operational requirements.

Result Area 1 received the largest share of programme resources, reflecting the scale of social protection interventions delivered under that component.

The figures demonstrate the financial scale of the programme and the resources deployed through its implementation structures over the five-year period.

They also underline the importance of accountability, beneficiary verification and effective monitoring in ensuring that programme resources reach eligible recipients and that reported results can be independently substantiated.

Verified results and financing challenges

Under the World Bank’s Programme-for-Results financing approach, programme performance is assessed against agreed Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs). Payments are tied to results achieved and independently verified rather than being based solely on expenditure incurred.

Across four Independent Verification Agent (IVA) assessment rounds, Benue State recorded cumulative verified earnings exceeding US$18.25 million.

However, actual reimbursements received by the state were significantly lower than the cumulative verified earnings. The difference was attributed to the recovery of the initial advance, programme restructuring and the limited resources remaining in the World Bank financing pool during the final implementation phase.

Despite these constraints, Benue State improved its implementation performance and recorded its highest reimbursement during the third IVA cycle.

The experience illustrates both the opportunities and challenges associated with results-based financing. While the model places emphasis on measurable outcomes and independent verification, the actual funds received by a state can also be affected by financing arrangements and the resources available within the programme.

For Benue, the implementation experience provides lessons for strengthening financial planning, institutional coordination, beneficiary documentation and performance monitoring in subsequent interventions.

State institutions drive implementation

The programme is implemented through existing government institutions designated as Delivery Platforms, coordinated by the State CARES Coordinating Unit and overseen by the State CARES Steering Committee.

This institutional arrangement enables the programme to work through established structures with responsibilities for planning, implementation, monitoring, financial management and accountability.

The State CARES Steering Committee provides policy guidance and oversight, while the SCCU coordinates implementation and works with the Delivery Platforms to monitor performance and support the achievement of programme targets.

The current SCCU management team comprises Mrs Jacyntha Tor-Wombo who is the state Coordinator, James Ayoosu — Monitoring and Evaluation Lead, Francisca Iorliam — Planning Lead, Bridget Oglegba — Fraud and Corruption Lead, Kuma Benjamin Abunde — Accountant. The team's responsibilities include coordination, planning, monitoring, financial management and oversight functions necessary to support implementation and accountability.

The institutional framework is particularly important under a results-based programme, where performance must be documented and independently verified before corresponding disbursements can be made.

A foundation for NG-CARES 2.0

The close of the parent BN-CARES Programme in October 2025 marked the end of one implementation phase, but the experience gained provides a foundation for the NG-CARES Additional Financing Programme, also referred to as NG-CARES 2.0.

The earlier programme demonstrated the importance of sustained government commitment, reliable implementation structures, beneficiary verification and coordination among the institutions responsible for delivering support.

It also showed the value of linking social protection with agricultural productivity, community infrastructure and small-business recovery.

For the Alia administration, the next phase presents an opportunity to build on lessons from the parent programme, strengthen implementation capacity and improve the delivery of interventions to eligible households, farmers and enterprises.

Continued attention to transparency, accurate beneficiary records, effective monitoring and timely implementation will be important to ensuring that future support translates into measurable benefits for the people of Benue State.

Conclusion: Putting vulnerable residents at the centre of development

The BN-CARES experience demonstrates how a coordinated social protection and economic recovery programme can provide support across several areas of community life.

From grants to vulnerable households and small businesses to agricultural assistance, community micro-projects and livelihood support, the programme has contributed to efforts aimed at strengthening resilience and improving economic opportunities across Benue State.

Its reported reach of 88,109 direct beneficiaries by October 2025, together with ₦7.87 billion released for implementation between 2021 and 2025, provides a measure of the scale of the intervention.

The financial support and renewed implementation commitment provided by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s administration were important in sustaining the programme after its initial challenges. The work of the SCCU and the Delivery Platforms also remains central to translating policy support into assistance for beneficiaries.

Ultimately, the value of NG-CARES lies not only in the funds released or the number of people reached, but in its contribution to stronger household livelihoods, improved food security, more resilient communities and the recovery of small businesses.

As Benue State advances into the next phase of the programme, the lessons of BN-CARES provide a basis for strengthening implementation and ensuring that future interventions continue to address the needs of poor and vulnerable residents across the state.

Ter Mningem

Information & Communication Officer,

Benue State SCCU.