- 14 Wards, 102 Polling Units to Benefit as Governor Ododo’s Administration Expands Social Protection, Livelihood and Community Development Interventions
The Kogi State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, and his Environment and Ecological Management counterpart, Engr. Segun Joseph, have unveiled plans for the equitable distribution of interventions under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES 2.0) programme across Yagba-West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Commissioners, after consultations with critical stakeholders and Polling Unit Vanguards across Yagba-West Constituencies I and II, agreed on a grassroots-based distribution framework designed to ensure that the interventions reach vulnerable residents across all 14 wards and 102 polling units in the local government.
Under the agreed allocation, 894 beneficiaries are expected to benefit from various NG-CARES interventions, comprising cash transfers, livelihood grants, labour-intensive public works and agricultural support.
A significant component of the intervention is the provision of N20,000 monthly cash transfers for 12 months to eligible vulnerable beneficiaries. In addition, 436 beneficiaries will receive one-off livelihood grants of N100,000 each to establish, expand or strengthen small businesses and other income-generating activities.
Similarly, 99 beneficiaries will participate in the Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW) component and receive N20,000 monthly for 12 months, while 214 farmers across the local government will benefit from agricultural inputs and productive assets, including fertilisers, herbicides and other farming support.
The Commissioners explained that the distribution would cover all the wards in Yagba-West, including Ejiba; Odo-Eri/Okoto; Odo-Ere/Oko-Ere; Isanlu-Esa/Okoloke/Okunran; Iyamerin; Igbara-Uku; Odo-Ara/Omi/Oga; Ogbe; Oke-Egbe I; Oke-Egbe II; Oke-Egbe III; Oke-Egbe IV; Odo-Egbe I; Odo-Egbe II; and Odo-Egbe III, with allocation guided principally by polling-unit strength and the need for balanced grassroots coverage.
They stressed that the polling-unit structure was deliberately adopted to ensure that the intervention moves beyond political leaders and the local government headquarters to the wards, polling units, communities and, ultimately, the intended beneficiaries.
Under the Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) component, 20 communities across Yagba-West, with an estimated 2,035 beneficiaries, have been earmarked for community development interventions.
The Commissioners said particular attention would be given to communities that have not adequately benefited from previous interventions, with projects expected to address critical grassroots needs, including healthcare facilities, motorable roads, and the construction or rehabilitation of public schools.
Dr. Bolarin and Engr. Joseph said the consultations were aimed at ensuring that stakeholders and residents clearly understand the resources coming to Yagba-West and that the distribution reflects fairness and broad-based community participation.
They therefore charged stakeholders and party members involved in the process to work together in identifying deserving beneficiaries, particularly vulnerable households, women, youths, farmers and economically disadvantaged residents, while ensuring that personal interests or political considerations do not undermine the objectives of the intervention.
The Commissioners attributed the expanded intervention to the people-oriented policies of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Chief Servant of Kogi State, noting that his administration remains focused on strengthening social protection, economic empowerment and community development across the state.
According to them, the interventions go beyond immediate relief, as the combination of sustained cash support, livelihood grants, temporary employment, agricultural assistance and community infrastructure is designed to strengthen household resilience, support livelihoods and stimulate economic activities across Yagba-West Local Government Area.
Dr. Bolarin and Engr. Joseph further noted that the scale of the intervention comes with a corresponding responsibility for stakeholders to ensure transparency, fairness and proper identification of beneficiaries so that the intended impact is achieved at the grassroots.
The Commissioners also called on the people of Yagba-West to continue to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the progressive programmes of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that sustained collaboration between the people and government remains important to the consolidation of ongoing development initiatives.
They therefore urged the people to use the forthcoming elections to support President Tinubu and other APC candidates, describing such support as an opportunity to sustain the party’s development agenda and strengthen the continuity of programmes targeted at improving livelihoods, empowering citizens and delivering development at the grassroots.
They expressed confidence that with continued cooperation among government, stakeholders and the people, Yagba-West would remain an important partner in advancing the development agenda of Kogi State and the Federal Government.
