President Bola Tinubu has directed the introduction of a Renewed Hope Development Programme in the 8809 wards across Nigeria.
This was part of the resolutions reached at Thursday’s meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), held at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, revealed this while briefing Journalists at the end of the special NEC meeting.
The special meeting of the National Economic Council had the prestigious presence of President Bola Tinubu, who attended to seek collaboration with the Council, which advises him on economic matters.
STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE
President Tinubu To Govs: Prioritise Welfare Of Nigerians, Invest More In Poverty Eradication, Power, Agric
** As NEC endorses ward development programme to hasten social protection at grassroots
** President directs setting up of national steering… pic.twitter.com/4TxtPiH8DU
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Governor Hope Uzodinma said the new programme is aimed at fast-tracking the impact of the economic reforms of the Tunubu administration on the lives of Nigerians.
He said: “We just concluded a National Economic Council meeting with Mr President, President Bola A. Tinubu in attendance, and the meeting presented an opportunity for him to brief the Governors and the need for the national government and subnational government to work together for the overall interest of our people and country, Nigeria.
“Well, we acknowledged his triumphs for revenue generation and the results already recorded as a result of the various reform policies of his administration. The country is earning more money now; the subnational governments are also earning more money.
“The President came up with a programme that will fast-track the process of this additional money, creating a bigger impact on Nigerians by making sure that it trickles down to the grassroots. For that reason, they brought a programme to stimulate economic activities at the ward level.”
Environmental Impact
Governor Uzodinma added that the Nigerian leader acknowledged the need for an environmental impact assessment of the projects being executed by the current administration, to make them more worthwhile.
“At the same time, the President acknowledged on challenges bordering on environmental impact assessment around the major projects his legacy projects, particularly the Lagos Calabar coastal road and the Sokoto Badagry Road, and advocated for the need for collaboration between the national government and subnational government for a committee to be set up so that governors and the national government will work together for earlier actualization of this project.
“For that reason, a committee will be set up working within the Surveyor General of the Federation, and also subnational governments, to be on the same page for the interest of Nigeria,” he added.
Shedding more light on the proposed programme, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said a committee would be set up to fine-tune the implementation strategy.
“Today, Mr President attended the NEC meeting, and he commended the state governors for the cooperation they have extended to him and the federal government. And today, in a very historic next step, Mr President witnessed the presentation of the memo on the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which is a strategy to support the macroeconomic reforms being undertaken by the administration.
“Having stabilised the macro economy. The next step is to drill down development to the lowest levels so that we can, in the 8,809 wards of the country, stimulate economic activity, which we believe will generate employment, reduce poverty, enhance food security and even enhance social protection.
“And this is in line with our Constitution. Chapter Two of our Constitution demands that the government, federal, state and local governments harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, dynamic and self-reliant economy. This can only be done cooperatively. And Mr President, as an ardent believer in federalism today, presented Renewed Hope Ward based development programme as a collaboration between federal state and local governments, a Federation project and to be funded with the increased revenues accruing to the Federation account, as well as other programmes that the federal government and states are undertaking,” the Minister explained.
Beneficiaries
He said 1000 beneficiaries would be selected from each ward of the country.
“Equally, to identify in each ward at least 1000 economically active persons who will be supported so that economic activity will be boosted in each ward of the Federation. The idea is to utilise this unique feature of our economy to generate double-digit growth in most of the wards as we march towards a $1 trillion economy,” said Bagudu
The Minister added that the Council was happy with the recent report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), indicating that the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration have improved stability in the economy.
“Mr president that always believe that to reduce poverty and food insecurity, we must invest collaboratively with federal and state in the creative energy of Nigerians and the geographical wards and having achieved the successes at the macroeconomic level, that is why this programme is unfolded today at the National Economic Council, which graciously approved the programme,” he stated.