President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on state governors to prioritise investments in poverty eradication, agricultural mechanisation, rural electrification, and infrastructure to improve the lives of Nigerians, especially at the grassroots.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications (Office of the Vice President) made this known in a statement.
He said the President made the appeal on Thursday while addressing the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) at the State House, Abuja. He urged governors to collaborate more closely with the Federal Government to drive inclusive development and stimulate growth in rural communities.
“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,” Tinubu said.
To boost economic activities at the grassroots, NEC approved the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP)—a new strategy aimed at accelerating double-digit growth through targeted interventions in Nigeria’s 8,809 wards. The programme is anchored on Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and seeks to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030, requiring an annual growth rate of 15%.
The initiative, presented by Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Senator Atiku Bagudu, will be implemented as a joint effort between the federal, state, and local governments. It proposes support for a minimum of 1,000 economically active individuals in smaller wards and 2,000 in larger ones. A National Steering Committee with representatives from all six geopolitical zones will supervise implementation.
In a move to fast-track critical infrastructure projects, President Tinubu ordered the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the Presidency, citing the need for seamless execution of his administration’s legacy projects such as the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highways.
The Council also mandated the enhancement of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) and directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to mitigate the impact of impending floods. This followed a briefing by the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar.
