By Grace Okenwa
Beneficiaries of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme in Enugu State have commended His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah, for impactful interventions that have significantly improved their livelihoods and living conditions.
The commendations came during an ongoing impact assessment exercise conducted by the Enugu State CARES Coordinating Unit (SCCU) to ascertain the outcomes and sustainability of NG-CARES projects in the state.
According to the Unit, headed by Mr. Christian Nwankwo, the exercise goes beyond verifying the delivery of interventions; it also assesses how the projects have improved beneficiaries’ socio-economic well-being and ensures that the gains are sustained over time.
The assessment covers interventions implemented across the three NG-CARES delivery platforms: Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Fadama, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). The CSDA platform focuses on social infrastructure and community-driven projects, Fadama boosts agricultural productivity and access to productive assets for farmers, while the SME platform supports small and medium enterprises to stimulate economic activity.
Across all visited communities, beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the state government, describing the NG-CARES interventions as evidence of responsive governance and commitment to improving the welfare of the people.
At Amorji Nenwe, beneficiaries under the Fadama platform, operating as the Nwayibuife Farmers Community Association, commended Governor Mbah for the productive assets provided through the NG-CARES programme.
The Chairperson of the association, Mrs. Lovelyn Fidelis, recalled that before the intervention, members travelled long distances for garri processing.
She explained that the association received a cassava grater, cassava presser with jack, and a cassava peeler, which significantly improved their processing capacity and service delivery.
According to her, income generated from rendering processing services to community members enabled the association to acquire a permanent site located at the heart of the community for easy access by residents.
“We are sincerely grateful to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubisi Mbah, for this life-saving support. The intervention has created employment opportunities for our people, increased productivity, reduced post-harvest losses, and saved time and resources previously spent in search of distant processing centres,” she said.
Similarly, residents of Ime-Ama Ngwo community applauded the state government for the provision of a borehole under the NG-CARES programme. A former youth leader of the community, Mr. Onyeka Onyibe, disclosed that no fewer than 1,000 residents now access water from the facility daily.
He noted that the borehole has brought lasting relief to the community, which previously depended on distant water sources, adding that the project has significantly improved the quality of life of residents.
The Enugu State CARES Coordinating Unit described the consistent positive feedback as a strong indication of the programme’s effectiveness and added that the impact assessment exercise will continue across all project sites in the state as part of the government’s commitment to accountability, sustainability, and inclusive development.
