Nigeria COVID‑19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus

What Nigeria COVID‑19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus does

The Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) is a multi-sectoral Federal Government of Nigeria programme initiated in 2020 and launched in January 2022 to mitigate the socio-economic fallouts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Anchored on the Federal Government's Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), NG-CARES is financed primarily through a US$750 million World Bank concessional loan (2021-2023, extended by one year in May 2023) under a Programme-for-Results (PforR) instrument, supplemented by an additional US$500 million World Bank loan secured in April 2025. The programme operates across all 36 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), organized into three Results Areas supported by 11 Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs): Result Area 1 delivers social transfers, basic services, livelihood grants, and Labour Intensive Public Workfare (LIPW); Result Area 2 addresses food security and safe food supply chains through agricultural inputs, infrastructure, and wet market upgrades; Result Area 3 facilitates micro and small enterprise (MSE) recovery via matching grants, operational support grants, and IT enhancement grants. Delivery is federated through pre-existing state platforms — Community and Social Development Agencies (CSDA), FADAMA, Bank of Industry (BOI), State Cash Transfer Units, and Job Creation Units — coordinated federally by the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU) in Asokoro, Abuja, under National Coordinator Dr. Abdulkarim Ali Obaje.

The programme's technology backbone is a results-based financing architecture: States are reimbursed by the FCSU only after an Independent Verification Agent (IVA) validates DLI achievements every six months and the World Bank issues a No Objection letter. A three-tier M&E system overlays this — FCSU routine monitoring, civil society third-party monitoring using Social Accountability tools, and IVA verification — providing accountability rigor unavailable to informal relief efforts. The go-to-market is government-to-government through State CARES Coordinating Units (SCCU) with a community-led component via Community and Group Development Plans (GrDPs/CDPs) and gender-responsive design (women farmer field facilitators, female outreach facilitators, grievance redress with female staff). As of November 2025, NG-CARES had positively impacted over 70 million Nigerians, with 13.1M Basic Services beneficiaries, 4.16M farmers, and 349,859 micro/small/nano enterprises assisted; a proposed NG-CARES 2.0 phase is now in implementation to extend impact beyond the original 2021-2024 horizon.

Name

Nigeria COVID‑19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus

Legal name

Federal CARES Support Unit (Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus — NG-CARES)

Website

https://ngcares.gov.ng

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NG-CARES is a Nigerian federal government programme that delivers social transfers, food security support, and micro-enterprise recovery grants to vulnerable households, smallholder farmers, and MSMEs across all 36 states and FCT, financed by World Bank Programme-for-Results loans exceeding $1.25 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Social Protection Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

akta.pro primary industry

Cash Assistance & Social Safety Net Delivery for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA), Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL), Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPADADAL), Digital Policy, Data Governance & Cybersecurity Standards Cooperation (BPADANAH)

Keywords

• Social protection programmes
• Economic stimulus financing
• Livelihood support grants
• Food security programmes
• MSME recovery grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Abuja

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. World Bank Concessional Loan (PforR financing): Primary funding stream via $750 million World Bank concessional loan accessed by Federal Government on behalf of the 36 States and FCT over 2 years (2021-2023). Allocation: $20 million ex-ante to each State, $15 million to FCT, and $15 million for the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU). Disbursement is results-based through PforR mechanism.
2. State Government Counterpart Funding: State governments inject additional funds to access more from the NG-CARES purse. Examples: Akwa Ibom State pledged ₦1 billion; Zamfara State set aside ₦8.3 billion for 152,107 beneficiaries; Ekiti State released ₦500 million. States and FCT have contributed between ₦88 billion to ₦90 billion since inception.
3. Conditional Grants to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs): Targeted conditional grants up to 40% to co-finance loans received by MSEs during COVID-19 crisis; operational support grants covering up to 50% of monthly operation cost of MSEs; IT enhancement grants. Specific disbursements include ₦300,000 operational grants for 253 beneficiaries, ₦600,000 for 100 beneficiaries, ₦300,000 for 58 beneficiaries (Niger State, ₦203.4 million total).
4. Livelihood and Cash Transfer Grants to Vulnerable Households: Direct livelihood grants to economically active household members, social transfers to aged, physically challenged, chronically ill and urban poor, and Labour Intensive Public Workfare (LIPW) stipends. Beneficiary grants reported include ₦80,000 (street beggar becoming shoemaker), ₦100,000 (roadside mechanic), ₦128,000 (Irish potato seller).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NG-CARES is a Federal Government of Nigeria programme that delivers three integrated result-area services to poor and vulnerable households, smallholder farmers, and micro/small enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It channels social transfers, food security support, and MSE recovery grants to beneficiaries across all 36 states and the FCT, financed through a World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) loan and disbursed to states only after Independent Verification Agent confirmation and World Bank No Objection.

Product overview

NG-CARES is a single multi-sectoral programme, not a modular SaaS platform, structured around three Result Areas and eleven Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) financed via a World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) loan of $750 million. Its core offering is the overarching NG-CARES Programme, which operationalises three integrated result-area modules: Result Area 1 (social transfers, basic services, and livelihood support — covering LIPW, livelihood grants, and community microprojects), Result Area 2 (food security and safe food supply chains — agricultural inputs, infrastructure, assets, and wet market upgrades), and Result Area 3 (MSE recovery and capability enhancement — matching grants, operational grants, and IT enhancement grants). The DLI Framework is the results-based financing backbone, while the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU), Federal CARES Steering Committee (FCSC), and Federal CARES Technical Committee (FCTC) provide the federal governance and coordination layer. A proposed NG-CARES 2.0 follow-on extends the offering, and gender-sensitive design provisions run across all three Result Areas as a cross-cutting feature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NG-CARES 2.0: Continuation phase of the NG-CARES programme proposed/inspired by Jigawa State's success, intended to further empower vulnerable Nigerians beyond the original 2021–2024 horizon.

Products and services

• NG-CARES Programme (Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus) A multi-sectoral Federal Government of Nigeria programme, anchored on the Economic Sustainability Plan and financed by a US$750 million World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) concessional loan, aimed at expanding access to livelihood support, food security services, and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms across the 36 States and FCT.
• Result Area 1: Social Transfers, Basic Services, and Livelihood Support Result Area covering increased social transfers to the aged, physically challenged, chronically ill, and urban poor, Labour Intensive Public Workfare (LIPW) stipends, direct livelihood grants, and community/basic-service infrastructure microprojects (DLIs 1.1–1.4), delivered through state CSDA and Cash Transfer platforms.
• Result Area 2: Food Security and Safe Food Supply Chains Agriculture-focused result area covering the full agricultural value chain, including provision of agricultural inputs and services, labour-intensive agricultural infrastructure, agricultural assets for production and post-harvest loss mitigation, and upgrading of wet markets for safe functioning (DLIs 2.1–2.4), delivered via state FADAMA platforms.
• Result Area 3: MSE Recovery and Capability Enhancement Result Area facilitating recovery and enhancing capabilities of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) through MSE Matching Grants co-financing loans originated after June 16, 2020, Operational Support Grants covering up to 50% of monthly operation cost, and IT Enhancement Grants supporting digital payments integration and IT connection costs (DLIs 3.1–3.3).
• Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) Framework Eleven Disbursement Linked Indicators across the three Result Areas forming the basis of the World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) disbursement model; States/FCT are reimbursed by the FCSU only after Independent Verification Agent verification and a No Objection from the World Bank.
• Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU) Coordination Services Federal coordination office led by the National Coordinator providing overall policy direction, technical support, routine Monitoring & Evaluation, quality assurance, capacity building, and reimbursement to States and FCT for verified NG-CARES results.
• NG-CARES 2.0 Proposed follow-on phase of NG-CARES, inspired by Jigawa State's success under the current programme, intended to continue empowering vulnerable Nigerians after the initial US$750m PforR window and backed by an additional US$500 million World Bank loan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70 million Nigerians positively impacted across all 36 states and FCT
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/core, core and moderate.

• Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning (FBNP)flagship/coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnchor ministry for NG-CARES governance. The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning (Prince Clem Ikanade Agba) chairs the NG-CARES Steering Committee and signed Dr. Obaje's appointment letter. Ministry coordinates overall federal-level implementation.
• Community and Social Development Project (CSDP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPre-existing federal project platform leveraged by NG-CARES for Result Area 1 implementation through state-level Community and Social Development Agencies (CSDAs). National Coordinator Dr. Obaje previously led CSDP, bringing continuity and institutional memory to NG-CARES implementation.
• FADAMAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational FADAMA office and state-level FADAMA agencies deliver Result Area 2 (food security) covering agricultural inputs, infrastructure, assets, and wet market upgrades. NC FADAMA Balarabe Abdulrahman participated in GOM manual discussions.
• Bank of Industry (BOI)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBank of Industry is the focal point for Results Area 3 implementation - screening, vetting, and disbursing MSE Matching Grants, Operational Support Grants, and IT Enhancement Grants across states. Handles entire process from selection to disbursement for MSE beneficiaries.
• Independent Verification Agent (IVA)flagship/coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party verification body that visits States every six months to verify claims or results achieved, prepares verification reports in line with Verification Protocol, and certifies DLI achievements - a major component enabling PforR-based reimbursement from the World Bank.
• Nigerian Governors Forum SecretariatmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerFacilitates the peer learning component of the programme; cited as a key enabler of exemplary high performance by Zamfara State, which served as a benchmark for other states through peer learning.
• Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCivil Society Groups conduct third-party Monitoring using Social Accountability and Citizens Engagement tools for Beneficiary Assessment, forming the second tier of the three-tier M&E system alongside FCSU routine M&E and IVA verification.
• Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Government social investment programme leveraged by NG-CARES for MSE support. NG-CARES complements and leverages existing Job Creation Unit/MSE Support Units supported by GEEP at community level.
• Adamawa State Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdamawa State delivery platform for Results Area 3 (MSME recovery); organized 3-day stakeholder sensitization meetings with MSMEs state council on NG-CARES objectives and grant eligibility criteria.
• Cross River State Community and Social Development Agency (CRSCSDA)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerState-level delivery agency for Results Area 1 in Cross River State; conducted training of Heads of Local Government Administration and Community Development Officers. General Manager Mr Fidel Udie.
• Ekiti State Micro-Finance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA)moderateImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOne of the five delivery platforms implementing NG-CARES 3 Result Areas in Ekiti State, alongside Ekiti CSDA, FADAMA, Cash Transfer Office, and Public Works.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Liberia COVID-19 Emergency Response Programme: West African COVID-19 economic recovery and stimulus programme supported by World Bank. Directly comparable as a regional COVID-19 response intervention financed via a PforR or similar instrument, targeting vulnerable households and MSMEs.
• N-Power — Nigeria: Federal Government of Nigeria youth employment and skills development programme. Comparable as a federal social investment intervention targeting unemployed youth with stipends, overlapping with NG-CARES' Labour Intensive Public Works (LIPW) and livelihood support components.
• National Social Safety Net Programme (NASSP) — Nigeria: Nigeria's federal conditional cash transfer programme for poor and vulnerable households. Directly comparable as a federal social safety net programme targeting overlapping beneficiary segments (poor/vulnerable households) via state delivery platforms in Nigeria.
• Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) — Nigeria: Federal social investment programme providing micro-credit and loans to MSMEs and traders across Nigeria. Already a partner of NG-CARES for MSE support; comparable in its micro-enterprise lending focus and state-level Job Creation Unit delivery infrastructure.

Others

• UNICEF Nigeria Social Protection Programme: UN agency support to Nigeria's national social protection systems, including cash transfers and shock-responsive safety nets. Comparable as an external technical and co-financing partner to federal and state social protection delivery in Nigeria.

Regional players

• Inua Jamii Senior Citizens' Programme — Kenya: Kenyan government cash transfer programme for elderly and vulnerable persons. Comparable as a sub-Saharan African national social protection programme with donor financing, state-level delivery, and similar beneficiary targeting (aged, vulnerable).
• Zambia Social Protection Expansion Programme: World Bank-supported cash transfer programme targeting extreme poor and vulnerable households in Zambia. Comparable as an African PforR-style social safety net with similar beneficiary segments and federal-state delivery architecture.
• Sierra Leone Social Safety Net Programme: National cash transfer programme targeting extreme poor households in Sierra Leone. Comparable as a West African safety net with donor financing and similar targeting of vulnerable populations.

Broad incumbents

• World Bank Programme-for-Results (PforR) Portfolio: World Bank's PforR portfolio globally — a set of results-based financing programmes that link disbursement to verified DLIs. Comparable as the institutional framework that NG-CARES operates within, with similar Independent Verification Agent and No Objection mechanics.
• Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) — Ethiopia: Large-scale African social safety net programme combining cash transfers and public works. Comparable as a World Bank-supported PforR-style safety net with strong M&E and results-based disbursement to vulnerable households in a federal context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NGCARESofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/NGCARESofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Nigeria COVID‑19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus