NG-CARES 2.0: Taraba CSDA Begins Participatory Rural Appraisal in 180 Communities

The Taraba State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) has commenced the second phase of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES 2.0) with a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercise across more than 180 communities in the state.

The exercise, which serves as a preliminary stage for project implementation, is being coordinated by the Operations Department of the agency. Teams of CSDA staff have been deployed to communities that indicated interest in benefiting from the programme, carrying out on-the-spot assessments of local needs.

So far, at least 180 communities across the 16 local government areas of Taraba State have been covered, with officials engaging residents through interactive sessions to identify priority projects.

Participants at the engagements included men, women, and youths, who were given the opportunity to outline their most pressing needs to guide intervention plans.

The agency said the PRA exercise is specifically targeted at underserved communities, in line with its mandate to support the “poorest of the poor” through community-driven micro projects.

Key areas of intervention under the second phase of NG-CARES include education, water supply, healthcare, and environmental services, with solar-powered electricity introduced as an additional focus area.

Communities visited so far include Pasauki, Suntai-Daji, Ando-Ikwe, Ando-Yaku, Basina, Lamma, Dampar, Jigawa, Garin-Gidado in Ardo-Kola, as well as parts of Donga and WukariLocal Government Areas.

The agency noted that the first phase of the programme, which ended in December 2025, recorded the execution of over 350 projects in 159 communities across rural Taraba.

It attributed the success of the initial phase to the support of the state government under Governor Agbu Kefas, as well as collaboration with the World Bank.

CSDA expressed optimism about surpassing its previous achievements, with plans to expand project reach and ensure visible impact in underserved communities across the state.