President Tinubu Endorses Ward-Level Strategy To Address Poverty

‎President Bola Tinubu has given approval to a ward-level development plan aimed at stimulating economic growth and reducing poverty across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards.
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‎The Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP) was endorsed at the 150th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday at the State House in Abuja.
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‎This programme is a component of the larger Renewed Hope Agenda, which aspires to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
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‎During the NEC meeting, Tinubu called on state governors to focus on improving the welfare of citizens at the grassroots level.
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‎“I want to appeal to you; let us change the story of our people in the rural areas. The economy is working. We are on the path of recovery, but we need to stimulate growth in the rural areas,” he said.
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‎The Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP) is designed as a unified intervention framework targeting poverty reduction, food security, rural infrastructure, electricity access, and employment generation.
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‎The plan sets baseline targets for economic activities, 1,000 in smaller wards and 2,000 in larger ones with supervision by a National Steering Committee, while the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will serve as its secretariat.
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‎Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu presented the initiative to the Council, stating that it would involve collaboration across all three levels of government for effective implementation.
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‎To aid the rollout, President Tinubu ordered the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the presidency and advocated for the expansion of the national school feeding programme to boost school attendance and tackle child poverty.
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‎He also instructed NEC to establish a committee to fast-track critical infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry highways.
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‎Drawing from the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, the programme is anchored in national policy directives that aim to enhance productivity and secure food systems.
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‎During the same meeting, NEC urged state governments to reinforce their emergency management agencies and directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to disburse emergency funds to mitigate potential flood risks, following a briefing by Zubaida Umar, Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency.