The goal of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) Program is to expand access to livelihood support and food security services to "poor and vulnerable households and firms", and to facilitate economic activity recovery in participating states in Nigeria.

This project was designed as a short-term response to the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering two years of supplementary funding to already-existing government safety net interventions at the state level, including cash transfers, public works opportunities, and agricultural infrastructure improvements. Part of the project's aim is to reduce fragmentation among smaller safety net programs, and to strengthen coordination and implementation among various levels of the federal government.