Nigerian government has planned to empower 1000 persons per each of the 8809 wards across the country “a very historic step” under the ” Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which is a strategy to support the macroeconomic reforms being undertaken by the administration.”
The programme is a collaborative effort between the federal government and states. The decision was arrived at on Thursday.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu disclosed this after a special meeting of the National Economic Council NEC, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
Bagudu who described the meeting as “a very historic step”, stated that the initiative is coming under the ” Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which is a strategy to support the macroeconomic reforms being undertaken by the administration.”
” Having stabilized 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 simulate economic activity, which we believe will generate employment, reduce poverty, enhance food security and even enhance social protection.” he said.
Bagudu noted that it is also in fulfilment of the Constitutional provisions in Chapter Two which demands that the government, federal, state and local government, harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and efficient, dynamic and self reliant economy.
“This can only be done cooperatively. And 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 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.
He stressed that the program will identify in each ward, “at least 1000 economically active persons that will be supported so that economic activity will be boosted in each ward of the Federation.
” The idea is to utilize this unique feature of our economy to generate double digit growth in most of the wards as we march towards a $1 trillion economy”
He revealed that NEC passed a resolution endorsing the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme as a collaborative undertaking between federal, state and local government and the identification of the economically active individuals in the respective wards, as well as making the Federal Ministry of budget and the economic planning the Secretariat of the programme.
He noted that the policy, apart from strengthening the economic base at the ward levels, will help in reducing poverty and food insecurity, adding that ” 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”
Governor Hope Uzodimma or Imo State and Chairman of the All Progressive Congress APC, expressed the hope that the programme will fast track the process of 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. I’m sure that the Secretariat of this programme, which is the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, can give you details later.”
He disclosed that the President acknowledged the challenges bordering on environmental impact assessment around the major projects, especially, 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
