President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has endorsed a new ward-based development approach aimed at accelerating grassroots development and lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
The initiative, known as the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP), was adopted Thursday at the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), held at the State House in Abuja.
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The RHWDP targets Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards across the 36 states and is designed to serve as a direct intervention mechanism for poverty alleviation, food security, rural electrification, infrastructure improvement, and economic stimulation.
It is a key plank of Mr Tinubu’s broader Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
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In his remarks at the meeting, President Tinubu urged governors to focus more on the welfare of ordinary Nigerians and invest heavily in critical sectors such as agricultural mechanisation, rural power supply, poverty eradication, and education.
“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,” the President said. “Let us collaborate and do what will benefit the people.”
President Tinubu also called for the expansion of school feeding programmes to boost enrolment and reduce child poverty. He directed NEC to establish a special committee to fast-track the execution of national legacy infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highways.
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To support the seamless implementation of these projects, Mr Tinubu ordered the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the presidency.
The RHWDP, presented to the Council by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, seeks to drive double-digit economic growth through active participation of federal, state, and local governments.
The programme mandates minimum economic activity thresholds per ward—1,000 for smaller wards and 2,000 for larger ones—supported by a National Steering Committee and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as secretariat.
READ ALSO: Tinubu moves Surveyor-General’s Office to Presidency – Minister
The legal foundation for the programme is drawn from the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, which directs government policy towards improved production methods and food security.
In another resolution, NEC directed the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and asked the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to mitigate anticipated flooding, following a presentation by the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Zubaida Umar.
The ward development strategy marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to inclusive growth, with emphasis on bottom-up development and deeper collaboration between all tiers of government.
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