The Katsina State Government had said it has channelled more than ₦100bn into social protection programmes over the past two years, amid warnings that Nigeria’s flagship anti-poverty scheme risks losing momentum without stronger legislative backing.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda disclosed the figure while hosting a two-day national retreat of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) in Katsina on Monday. The initiative, launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, is designed to support households, farmers, small businesses and other vulnerable groups.
Radda said the money had been spent through state agencies such as CSDA, FADAMA and KASEDA, providing food aid, potable water, healthcare, education and small business grants in every part of Katsina, from Daura to Dandume. He described the programme as “a symbol of hope for households facing economic hardship” and urged Nigeria’s National Assembly to pass laws to guarantee its survival.
“The National Assembly must not only allocate funds but also champion laws and policies that will make NG-CARES a permanent pillar of Nigeria’s social protection system,” he said.
World Bank officials at the retreat praised Katsina’s community-driven model, under which each ward receives at least ₦10m for projects ranging from schools and health centres to rural roads and farm inputs. But they cautioned that poverty and food insecurity remain widespread in Nigeria, and warned the scheme’s future depends on accountability and stronger institutional safeguards.
Lawmakers, including Abubakar Yahya Kusada, chair of the House committee on NG-CARES, said the federal budget has made provisions to sustain the scheme and announced plans for a digital dashboard to track spending in real time across states.
The retreat, attended by legislators, development partners, state commissioners, civil society and traditional leaders, is expected to produce recommendations on how to institutionalise NG-CARES and ensure it continues beyond political transitions.
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