Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has been commended for being one of the best-performing states under the NG-CARES Programme.
The commendation was made by the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), Dr. Abdulkarim Obaje, while speaking during a 3-day step-down training on Grievance Mechanisms and Gender-Based Violence for staff of the state and local government implementing the GO-CARES Programme.
The National Coordinator said that the Gombe State government has made remarkable achievements due to massive investment in the Gombe CARES Program (GO-CARES).
The coordinator further commended the governor for consistently demonstrating visionary leadership in implementing pro-poor initiatives designed by the federal government to address the issue of poverty in the country.
He explained that the training also seeks to enhance the capacity of staff members and institutions in Gombe State to manage reported grievances effectively and to foster safer, more inclusive communities by equipping participants with the skills needed to resolve grievances fairly and address GBV issues within the state.
He added that grievance redress mechanisms had always been an integral part of the World Bank programs, which the NG-CARES was leveraging to establish structures and enhance them to ensure comprehensive coverage.
According to him, there are five platforms in Gombe State actively implementing the NG-CARES, including Social Transfer at the Cash Transfer Office, Targeted Grants Transfer (TGT), Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Fadama Programme, and State Development Agencies (SMA).
The Gombe State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alh. Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the State CAReS Steering Committee, emphasised that GO-CARES is a local adaptation of NG-CARES, a World Bank-supported project aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by poor and vulnerable populations.
He explained that the program, domesticated in Gombe over the past four to five years, has significantly improved the lives of beneficiaries.
The Commissioner highlighted that the step-down training was mandated by the Federal NG-CARES to ensure that both implementers and beneficiaries are aware of their rights to raise complaints.
The training also focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment to ensure beneficiary satisfaction. It is designed to empower participants to design, establish, and manage effective grievance mechanisms tailored to the needs of vulnerable populations.
Earlier in his welcome address, the State CAReS Coordinator, Michael Habila, said that Gombe State is the first to organise the step-down training after a national grievance training was organised by the Federal CAReS Support Unit.
He expressed optimism that there will be much improvement and effectiveness in staff performance as regards GM and GBV implementation after the training.
Participants at the training said they are now more equipped with the requisite skills to address gender-based violence and grievance issues and appreciated the state government for giving them the opportunity to work under the GO-CARES Program and participate in the training, as contained in a statement by Comfort Mukollo, PRO Gombe State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA).
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