FIC Report (Benue State) – The Benue State Government on Monday, 16 March 2026, held a strategic meeting to review proposed budget estimates for the implementation of Phase Two of the Nigerian Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.
The meeting, held at the Conference Hall of the Commissioner for Finance at the State Secretariat, Makurdi, brought together key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the programme in the state.
Those in attendance included the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Finance, Mr. Sadic Abubakar Bello; the Benue State Coordinator of the NG-CARES Programme, Mrs. Jacyntha Tor-Wombo; as well as members of the management staff of the State CARES Coordination Unit (SCCU).
Also present were Heads of the various Delivery Platforms (DPs) of the programme.
These included Result Area 1 – the State Cash Transfer Unit (SCTU) and the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA); Result Area 2 – FADAMA; and Result Area 4 – the State Operations Coordinating Unit (SOCU). They were accompanied by their respective accountants, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officers, and Heads of Programmes.
The meeting was chaired by the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Michael Oglegba, who also serves as Chairman of the State CARES Steering Committee (SCSC).
In his remarks, Oglegba commended the State Coordinator and Heads of the Delivery Platforms for their dedication and efforts in advancing the programme in the state. He explained that the meeting was convened to critically review the proposed budget estimates for the next six months as preparations intensify for the rollout of NG-CARES 2.0.
He noted that the engagement was a continuation of earlier deliberations held about a week ago, aimed at fine-tuning plans for effective implementation of the programme.
Participants discussed several key issues essential to the success of the programme, including beneficiary selection and targeting, data mining, verification processes, as well as supervision and monitoring mechanisms.
The Heads of the Delivery Platforms emphasised that, given the programme’s results-based approach, early commencement of Phase Two would enhance its effectiveness.
They also noted that the approaching rainy season underscores the need for prompt implementation.
Both the Commissioner for Finance and the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Finance stressed the importance of ensuring that the programme reaches remote communities for which it was primarily designed.
Speaking during the deliberations, Bello recommended a collaborative approach to project supervision and monitoring.
He suggested that the State CARES Coordination Unit should work closely with the Delivery Platforms in overseeing projects and beneficiaries to ensure thorough implementation.
According to him, such collaboration would enable deeper oversight, noting that relying solely on the coordination unit might provide only a limited view of project execution.
The meeting was adjourned to Thursday to allow the Delivery Platforms to make final adjustments to their proposals and align them with a modest but realistic budget framework capable of delivering meaningful results for the state.
VERONICA AZEMBA
For Head of Center FIC Makurdi
