By Our Report
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged state governors to commit more resources to improving the lives of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, through increased investment in electrification, agricultural mechanisation, poverty eradication, and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 150th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday at the State House Council Chambers, Abuja, President Tinubu called for urgent collaboration between all tiers of government to drive inclusive economic growth across the country, the statement signed by Stanley Nkwocha,
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications, (Office of The Vice President) released on the X handle of Bayo Onanuga on Thursday said.
The statement partly reads; “I want to appeal to you: let us change the story of our people in the rural areas,” he said. “The economy is working. We are on the path of recovery, but we must stimulate growth in the rural areas. We know their situation; let us collaborate and do what will benefit the people.”
The President’s charge followed a presentation by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on the newly introduced Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP)—a grassroots-focused initiative designed to drive double-digit economic growth by targeting development efforts at Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards.
The RHWDP, fully endorsed by the council, aligns with Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to transform Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030, requiring a sustained growth rate of 15%, significantly above the current rate of less than 4%.
According to the Minister, the programme will provide targeted economic support to a minimum of 1,000 economically active individuals per smaller ward and 2,000 in larger ones. A National Steering Committee comprising representatives from all six geopolitical zones will oversee its implementation, with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning acting as secretariat.
President Tinubu also announced new directives to support his administration’s legacy infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highways. To fast-track delivery, he ordered the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to be relocated under the Presidency, ensuring seamless coordination.
In addition, the NEC resolved to strengthen State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) in all 36 states and mandated the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to prepare for potential flooding. This decision followed a briefing by Mrs. Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The RHWDP draws legal backing from the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, which mandate government responsibility for food security, improved production systems, and grassroots economic inclusion.
Precise Post recalls that with this landmark ward-level initiative, the Tinubu administration is seeking to embed development directly into the lives of citizens, from the remotest communities to the national economy, to ensure that growth is both broad-based and sustainable.
