The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) has commended the World Bank for facilitating ongoing activities geared towards accelerating the uptake of the CARES programme during the COVID-19 period.
The commendation was among the resolutions of the Forum reached at its virtual meeting held, on Wednesday.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in a release, said the Forum also deliberated on salient issues affecting the country especially the sub-national economy following from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The release read in part, “The Forum will be playing a strategic role in the forthcoming 26th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #26) which, is designed to focus on the sub-nationals as the frontiers for economic growth and development in the country.
“It will bring together local and global policy makers, business leaders, development partners and scholars to lead and participate in sessions that will focus on building strategic partnerships and cooperation between governments, business enterprises and the civil society.”
The release said that no fewer than 18 governors in the country would take part in physical and virtual high-level panel dialogues from 26th-27th October 2020.
Recall that the Technical Committee of the NGF-NESG Economic Roundtable (NNER) was inaugurated on September 14, 2020, and was saddled with the responsibility coordinate the activities of the NGF-NESG partnership based on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between both institutions in 2017 to facilitate joint programme aimed at promoting sub-national competitiveness.
The release also said that the 2019 Annual Performance Assessment (APA) for the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme conducted by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) would be completed this week.
The exercise, it said, had already been completed in 32 states of the federation, while assuring that states remain committed and that they would continue to work assiduously to meet the requirements and Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) of the programme.
At the Wednesday meeting, updates were also provided on ongoing health-related interventions across states, including the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement (REDISSE) 2 Communiqué COVID-19 Support Fund, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF); and the Saving One Million Lives Performance for Results (SOML-PforR).
On the SOML programme, the Forum urges the World Bank to fast track the review of the SMART Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
States were also called upon to finalise their baseline assessments and capacity building activities to fast track access to the BHCPF.
The Forum received further updates and presentations from heads of its sub-groups including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State who provided updates on behalf of the NGF Sub-Committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
In his brief, Governor Sanwo-Olu reportedly highlighted the role of government in monitoring controls as the country welcomes international travellers. This includes the requirement for Travellers to present credible COVID-19 PCR Test results in order to safeguard the health of the populace.
Also, the Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, briefed the Forum on the activities of the National Food Security Council as it concerns agricultural development and food security in the country.
World Bank’s Country Director, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri, in company of the
Bank’s Lead Specialist on the Nigeria CARES Programme, Prof. Foluso Okunmadewa, also provided an update on the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Program for Results.
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The programme’s objective is to fund investments at the State level aimed at protecting livelihoods and food security for vulnerable families and facilitating economic recovery for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country;
During the virtual meeting of the Forum, the World Bank called for greater support for State Focal Persons and the institutions responsible for implementing the programme, including the Social Safety Net, the Community and Social Development Agencies (CSDA), and the FADAMA and SME platforms.
Governors were also called to establish a State CARES 3 Communiqué Coordination Unit in their Ministries of Budget and Planning to ensure proper coordination with other ministries, departments and agencies;
A member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, also made a presentation on managing state economies: challenges, opportunities and policy solutions for state governments.
The presentation highlighted the deteriorating economic condition in the country as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic and called for informed response from governments to steer the country to a v-shaped economic recovery in 2021.
On his part, the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Hussein
Adamu, briefed the Forum on the National Water Resources Bill 2020.
The Minister emphasised that the basic philosophy behind the Bill was to integrate water resources management in the country by bringing all laws related to water resources management into one consolidated code.
He noted that the new bill is consistent with the Land Use Act, and would promote equitable development, management, use and conservation of Nigeria’s surface and groundwater resources.
At the end of the meeting of the Forum, members resolved schedule a more intensive session on economic management with their Commissioners of Finance and Budget and Planning on the back of the presentation of Mr. Bismarck Rewane member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
They also agreed to partner with KAINOS Edge Consulting in conducting a Household Survey designed to gather data, analyze, generate and publish insights on the household economy across the 36 states of Nigeria and the FCT.
This Survey will cover household demographics, decision-making and wellbeing characteristics;
Finally, members of the Forum, while commending the Minister of Water Resources for taking an integrated approach on water resource management as a national good, also resolved that the proposed Bill and other relevant laws including the River Basins Development Authorities Act 2004; the Natural Water Resources Act 2004; and the Nigeria Hydrological Resources Act 2004 will be reviewed by their Attorneys General and Executive Councils of states after which a common position of States will be presented to the Ministry of Water Resources.
