The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has launched the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP) in the state, a non-partisan socio economic initiative of President Bola Tinubu to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
A total of 193,000 Kwarans are to benefit from the initiative from across the 193 wards in the state.
The Governor said the programme attests to the President’s love for the less privileged and his government’s dedication to achieve the $1 trillion dollar economy by 2030.
“This is the most innovative grassroots social programme rolled out to address poverty irrespective of religious difference, political persuasion, tribal or gender difference or place of birth,” the Governor said in Ilorin through his Senior Adviser and Counselor, Alhaji Sa’adu Salau, who represented him.
“This is a practical demonstration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s love for the grassroots and the poorest of the poor. This is the most data-driven FG special intervention towards ensuring a $1 trillion dollar economy by 2030.”
AbdulRazaq commended President Tinubu’s administration for its economic recovery programmes that support the poor.
He said the initiative aligns with the state’s social investment programme which his government introduced to empower the aged, downtrodden, and small-scale businesses.
He thanked the President for his various support to Kwara and how he entrusted him with the task of chairing the National Steering Committee for the programme.
“I call on all people of the state to support this innovative programme rolled out by the President to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty,” the Governor said.
The event was attended by top government officials, local government chairmen, party executives led by the Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, leaders of artisans’ congress and market women association, representatives of community-based organisations in the state.
He commended the APC family on the purposeful leaderships across the Federation and on how it continues to wax stronger.
“There have been several programmes tailored towards the betterment of Nigerians. This is the latest child of the government. The Renewed Hope Wards Development Programme is not the beginning of benefits that have been going to the grassroots, but this should be the largest yet,” he said.
State Coordinator for RHWDP, Mubarak Salau Bello, said the scheme is designed to take development and economic growth directly to the grassroots and make national growth a reality for every Nigerian, right from the ward level.
Bello said that they organised the stakeholders’ engagement to ensure robust enumeration, identify gaps, process feedback from citizens and enhance inclusion in the enrollment exercise.
He praised President Tinubu and Governor AbdulRazaq for impacting lives of the masses through poverty alleviation programmes, inclusive governance, and sustainable development at the grassroots.
Chairman, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Gidado Alakawa, said RHWDP is not partisan in nature but targeted at people at the grassroot level.
Alakawa, who took the participants through some of the pro-masses programmes and projects of the administration, both at federal and state levels, said APC government means well for Nigerians and deserves their continued support.
The Chairman, Kwara State Sports Commission, Coach Bola Magaji, acknowledged the Governor’s exceptional support for sport and youth development in the state, saying that there are numerous sport facilities the administration has revived to the best standard.
Speaking on behalf of community based organisations in the state, Kadir Rasheed Ajao promised to support the government in making sure that the programme benefits the right people.
State Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Mallam Ali Nasim-Yusuf, said Kwara youth have no reason to not support the President and the Governor, given the various youth-friendly programmes of the federal and state governments.