The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has vowed to ensure that funds are utilized appropriately and effectively under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme, following the World Bank’s affirmation of the programme's success in providing support to vulnerable households, farmers, and micro and small businesses.

The World Bank's confirmation of additional financing was revealed after the Forum’s seventh meeting of 2025, which took place at its headquarters on Lake Chad Street, Abuja, from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.

As stated in a communiqué signed by the NGF Chairman and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and read by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, the Forum indicated that the extra funding for the NG-CARES Programme is anticipated to yield significant benefits for vulnerable households across the nation.

Originally known as the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, and now rebranded as the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus, NG-CARES is a programme supported by the World Bank and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria to offer grants, livelihood aid, and food security assistance to impoverished and vulnerable households, farmers, and small businesses impacted by COVID-19 and other economic challenges.

This programme operates nationwide, with financial support and reimbursements directly linked to the achievement of verified results.

The communiqué mentioned: “The Forum was informed by the World Bank of the effectiveness of the additional financing for the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme. This allows for continuous disbursement to states to foster livelihoods, ensure food security, support public works, and initiate resilience-building efforts.

“Governors reaffirmed their dedication to maintaining the momentum of implementation, ensuring timely reporting, and maximizing the use of funds to achieve measurable outcomes for vulnerable households.”

Additionally, as noted in the communiqué shared by the Ogun State Governor, the NGF promised to enhance security across all states during the 2025 festive season due to concerns surrounding public safety.

It stated in part: “The Forum received a notice from the Office of the National Security Adviser, urging heightened security readiness across all states during the 2025 festive season because of increased population movements, large public gatherings, and elevated public safety risks.

“Governors are devoted to improving inter-agency coordination, safeguarding critical infrastructure, and maintaining a visible security presence in at-risk areas to guarantee a safe and incident-free festive season nationwide.”

The communiqué also highlighted the results of the third edition of the Primary Health Care Leadership Challenge Awards, conducted on December 12, 2025, which acknowledged 13 states for remarkable progress in enhancing primary health care systems.

“Yobe State was recognized as the national overall winner, while Zamfara, Nasarawa, Abia, Rivers, and Osun states excelled in their respective geopolitical zones. Kwara, Gombe, Kaduna, Anambra, Bayelsa, and Ogun states were named first runners-up.

“Governors acknowledged that these results demonstrate the importance of sustained political leadership and peer-driven accountability, and they committed to building on these accomplishments to further enhance primary health care delivery across the nation.”