President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to intensify their focus on poverty reduction, rural development, and infrastructure.
He also called for increased investment in key sectors to improve the lives of Nigerians at the grassroots level.
This directive was issued during the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), where a new ward-based development strategy was endorsed.
During the meeting at the State House, President Tinubu called on governors to prioritise the well-being of their citizens by allocating more funds to rural electrification, agricultural mechanisation, and poverty eradication efforts.
“The economy is working. We are on the path of recovery, but we need to stimulate growth in the rural areas,” the President stated.
He urged collaboration between federal and state governments to drive economic progress in rural communities.
The Former Governor of Lagos State also highlighted the need to combat insecurity and increase school enrollment through school feeding programs.
The NEC, which includes the 36 State Governors, fully endorsed the new Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP).
This strategy, presented by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, is designed to achieve double-digit economic growth through direct intervention in Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards.
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The RHWDP is a collaborative initiative between the federal, state, and local governments, intending to support economic activities for at least 1,000 to 2,000 active individuals per ward.
It is a key component of the administration’s broader aim to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030, a target that requires a significant increase from the current growth rate of under 4%.
In a move aimed at accelerating his administration’s major infrastructure projects, President Tinubu also directed the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the Presidency.
This is intended to streamline the execution of legacy projects, such as the Lagos-Calabar and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highways, by removing bureaucratic bottlenecks and ensuring direct oversight.
A committee has also been established by the NEC to facilitate the actualisation of these ambitious projects.
Additionally, the council addressed the looming threat of flooding across the country.
Following a presentation by Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), NEC directed that State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) be strengthened and called on the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to prepare for and address the impending flood effects.
