Welcome Address delivered by the Executive Secretary at the Orientation Programme for Stakeholders and Beneficiaries of NG-CARES LIPW at Ibadan South-East Local Government, Mapo, Ibadan.

His Excellency, the Executive Governor,

Chairman, State CARES Steering Committee,

Permanent Secretaries here present,

SCCU Coordinator,

All Stakeholders and Beneficiaries,

Gentlemen of the Press,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a great delight for me to welcome His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Top Government functionaries and all other dignitaries to the orientation programme for the Stakeholders and Beneficiaries of Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Labour Intensive Public Works (NG-CARES LIPW) which marks the continuation of full implementation of NG-CARES Programme in the State.

As designed, the NG-CARES is a-2year emergency operation to support budgeted programme of expenditure and interventions at State level, targeting existing and emerging vulnerable and poor households, agricultural value chains, and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) is the Disbursement Link Indicator (DLI) 1.2 of the Result Area one and one of the Eight Disbursement Link Indicators Oyo State is participating.

The LIPW beneficiaries are unemployed and unskilled youths and women from poor and vulnerable households of ages between 18 and 45 years with highest educational qualification of Senior Secondary Certificate of Education selected from the State Social Register domiciled in State Operations Coordination Unit (SOCU).

Based on the selection of the eligible beneficiaries from the Single Register, the first round of 1,404 beneficiaries from Eighteen (18) LGAs participated for one year, from May 2022 to April, 2023 while the second round of another 1,404 beneficiaries from the remaining 15LGAs will participate from July 2023 to June 2024 which brings the total target to 2,808 with 1,404 beneficiaries above the set targeted beneficiaries.

Your Excellency, the modus operandi is that the participants will be working for four(4) hours per day for Twenty days satisfactorily within their communities per month after which they will be paid N10,000 stipends.

It is pertinent to state that His Excellency, the Executive Governor has magnanimously approved the continuation of the implementation of NG-CARES Operation as well as granted an omnibus approval of the annual budget of the programme with the release of funds on quarterly basis to each of the Disbursement Link Indicators (DLIs).

It is, therefore, my honour and privilege to welcome you all to the opening programme of the OYS-CARES Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW).

God bless you all.

Keynote Address delivered by His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde at the Orientation Programme of NG-CARES LIPW held at Ibadan South-East Local Government, Mapo, Ibadan.

Head of Service,

Permanent Secretaries,

All Stakeholders and Beneficiaries,

Gentlemen of the Press,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me much pleasure to be here today to witness the commencement of the second round of Labour Intensive Public Works of Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) in the remaining Fifteen (15) Local Government Areas after the completion of the participation of Eighteen (18) LGAs in the first round.

The rationale behind the support of the World Bank on this Program for Result (PforR) Operation was based on the fact that poverty and vulnerability levels were already high in the Country before COVID-19 while the poor and vulnerable households face challenges on multiple fronts with COVID-19 pandemic ranges from losses of labour income, non-labour income, food insecurity and so on.

This program is part of a broader emergency package with a Program Development Objective (PDO), “to expand access to livelihood support and food security services, grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms”.

A Program for Result (PforR) operation is expected to achieve tangible results that will equally bring resources to the State. It therefore, worthy to note that OYS-CARES was part of the States that recorded a reimbursement resources of over N2billion during the first year of the program.

I was reliably informed that the Labour Intensive Public Works DLI1.2 performed creditably well with 100 percent performance that brought over N700m to the State as reimbursement after the first assessment of the Independent Verification Agents (IVAs) in December last year.

In order to continue with the smooth implementation, the State Government has graciously approved omnibus approval of over Three Billion (N3b) Naira for NG-CARES in year 2023 and the immediate release of the required necessary fund for the Delivery Platforms.

The Government of Oyo State will continue to partner with the World Bank in this Omituntun 2.0 four years of sustainable development refocused on Four (4) pillars vis-à-vis Economy, Education, Healthcare and Security. We will remain committed to providing necessary financial support and enabling environment for further interventions.

I wish to congratulate all the beneficiaries for the opportunity and implored them to carry out their activities as expected of them during the period of the programme.

Thank you all and God bless.