By Joan Cyril
By the time COVID-19 arrived, life had already begun to feel fragile for many families. Then the pandemic struck and the world went quiet and stood still.
Schools shut their gates. Markets locked their doors. Air travel came to a standstill, churches silenced, weddings postponed and funerals reduced to whispers. Only a few essential workers moved through empty streets, masked and afraid. For millions of Nigerians, especially those who survived on daily income, staying at home was not just inconvenient, it was devastating. Seems like the world was coming to an end!
Across cities and rural communities alike, businesses collapsed almost overnight. Employers downsized. Jobs disappeared. Goods expired on shop shelves. Savings ran out. Hunger crept into homes that had never known it before. Anxiety rose, blood pressure spiked and despair settled in like a heavy cloud. Families watched helplessly as their livelihoods stuck and their futures blurred by uncertainty. Faces that once carried laughter now bore the weight of worry. It was a season of fear and for many, a test and a fight for survival.
*A lifeline in a desperate hour*
As the hardship deepened, the Federal Government, in partnership with the 36 states and the FCT, sought urgent support from the World Bank. The result was a USD 750 million intervention designed not just to stabilise the economy but to rescue people, birthing the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme.
Launched nationally in 2021, the programme commenced in Akwa Ibom State in 2022 and domesticated as AK-CARES. Conceived as an emergency response to cushion the shock of COVID-19 pandemic, its mission was simple but powerful: expand access to livelihoods support, food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms. For many who had lost hope, AK-CARES arrived as light at the end of the tunnel.
*Five delivery platforms, a coordinating unit, a mission with one goal*
Being an emergency programme, AK-CARES relied on existing state structures to move fast. Five delivery platforms were saddled to take up the challenge: the State Cash Transfer Unit (Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare), AKROIMA, AK-CSDA, FADAMA (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security) and the Ministry of Trade and Investment. Together, they implemented nine Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) across three result areas, touching lives not with promises but with practical support. Testimonies of impact on beneficiaries abound.
*₦10,000 that changed everything*
For Patience Akpan Anwatim, a widow and farmer from Obotme in Ini LGA, the pandemic was devastating. With seven children to care for, every day was a struggle. Then came the monthly ₦10,000 social cash transfer. “From this money,” she says quietly, “I can support my children’s schooling and my farming. It has helped me stand again.” Among the elderly, widows, persons with disabilities and the chronically ill, Patience is one of thousands of beneficiaries supported by the State Cash Transfer platform. The amount may seem modest but for families like hers, it meant food on the table, school fees paid and dignity restored.
In Oron LGA, Affiong Effiong Asuquo, a mother of five, turned her ₦10,000 stipend into a small business. She rented a shop, began selling crayfish, joined a daily savings’ scheme and gradually grew her capital. “Now my business is thriving,” she smiles. “I didn’t just receive money, I received a chance.”
*Work, wages and renewed purpose*
For those who could work, Labour-Intensive Public Workfare (LIPW) offered more than income, it offered purpose. Youths and women were engaged to clean markets, maintain roads and keep communities healthy. Nsisong Patrick Hilary, from Uyo, still sounds surprised when he talks about it. “My name came from the social register. I didn’t lobby anyone. With this stipend, my family smiles again. Even the people where we work appreciate us.”
Another beneficiary, Offiong Ubong Peter, used his earnings not only to feed himself and his siblings but to pay ₦35,000 to train his sister in fashion design. “Because of this programme,” he says, “I wake up every day with hope.”
For economically active households, livelihood grants became a turning point.
In Itu LGA, Meek Louis Job, the daughter of a widowed farmer, used her one-off ₦100,000 grant to support her mother’s farming, sell fruits, help her brother register for WAEC and enroll in tailoring. “The dress I am wearing,” she says proudly, “I made it.”
Elsewhere, Nsikan Hanson used a ₦180,000 grant to buy photography tools: Godox speedlight and Softbox. Patronage has grown; clients are happy. “My next goal is to own a modern photo studio.“
*Water, health and ICT centres, dignity in communities*
Beyond individual support, AK-CARES facilitated over 78 community micro-projects in education, health, water and sanitation sectors, reaching over 100,000 people. In Afaha Atai community, Aniekan Udo explains what two motorised boreholes changed: “Our women no longer trek far for water. We process more cassava and palm fruits. Children get to school early. Water-borne diseases have reduced.” In Nsit Ubium, an ICT centre in school is preparing students for a digital future. “We are building digital natives, who can compete with their peers anywhere in the world,” says community leader Engr. Inyeneime Emah.
*Farms and markets reconnected*
Through FADAMA, farmers received inputs, feeder roads were rehabilitated and agricultural assets distributed. For Imaobong Bassey Okon, a physically-challenged poultry farmer, the support of one carton of day-old chicks meant growth. From selling birds worth ₦200,000, she expanded her farm and now employs others. In ONNA LGA, a once-impassable feeder road now links farms to markets. “Life is easier now,” says farmer Donald Christopher Umoh. “Our produce no longer rots.”
*Keeping small businesses alive*
Conditional grants were extended to business enterprises, covering businesses from nano traders to medium-scale operators. In Etinan LGA, Blessing Akpan transformed her cassava processing factory with a ₦500,000 grant. Today, her cooperative has 600 members, processing garri for export and even supported flood victims in Bayelsa during the 2022 floods. “AK-CARES showed us,” she says, “that something good can come from a rural community.”
*More than a programme, building resilience for the future*
What AK-CARES achieved goes far beyond emergency relief. Across the state, it quietly built resilience. Individuals, who once depended solely on daily income, now have skills, savings habits and productive assets. Households that were pushed to the brink during the pandemic now earn from multiple sources; farming, trading, services, making them better able to withstand future economic shocks. Small businesses that nearly collapsed have revived. Communities now have water, roads, schools and health facilities that reduce vulnerability and protect livelihoods.
This multi-sectoral approach, combining cash transfers, LIPW jobs, livelihood grants, agricultural support, infrastructure and MSME financing ensured that recovery was not temporary. It helped people rebuild with dignity and prepared them to face future crises with greater confidence.
In essence, AK-CARES did not just help people survive COVID-19; it helped them stand stronger for whatever comes next.
*Natural extension of the ARISE Agenda*
Significantly, AK-CARES aligns seamlessly with Eno’s ARISE Agenda.
The programme directly advances Agricultural Revolution through farm inputs, feeder roads and value-chain support. It strengthens Rural Development and Infrastructure Maintenance and Advancement by delivering community-driven health, education, water and sanitation infrastructure. It promotes Inclusive Growth by deliberately prioritising women, youths, persons with disabilities and the poorest households. And it supports Sustainable Development by building human capital, productive capacity and long-term resilience. AK-CARES is, therefore, not a parallel initiative, it is a practical, tested vehicle for translating the ARISE vision into visible results at the grassroots.
Yet, the work is far from done. A call to consolidate hope
At the close of AK-CARES 1.0, the voices rising from Akwa Ibom communities are clear. Beneficiaries are asking for continuity, for the chance to keep building on the progress they have made. Their stories show that AK-CARES works because it listens, because it is transparent and because it puts people at the centre of development. It is an intervention of the people, by the people and for the people. As AK-CARES 2.0 kick starts, the programme at this second phase is a chance for Akwa Ibom to consolidate hope, protect the vulnerable and strengthen its economy from the bottom up.
It presents a timely opportunity to deepen impact, reach more underserved communities, strengthen household resilience and accelerate inclusive growth across the state.
Now, for many families, the call is for government to open the door wider and let recovery grow into lasting prosperity. Sustaining and scaling this intervention is not merely a social obligation, it is a strategic investment. Every naira spent strengthening livelihoods today prevents deeper poverty tomorrow. Every small business supported reduces unemployment. Every community facility built lowers future humanitarian costs.
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