Fight poverty, invest in welfare of Nigerians, Tinubu tells govs

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to step up investments aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians, particularly in rural communities, by focusing on electrification, agricultural mechanisation, poverty alleviation, and infrastructure.

The appeal came during Thursday’s 150th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, held at the State House Council Chambers in Abuja, following a presentation by Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, on the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP).

“I want to appeal to you; let us change the story of our people in the rural areas,” the President said, according to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President).

“The economy is working. We are on the path of recovery, but we need to stimulate growth in the rural areas. We know the situation in the rural areas, let us collaborate and do what will benefit the people,” he added.

Tinubu encouraged governors to partner with the Federal Government to stimulate economic activity in rural parts of the country.

“We have to embrace mechanisation in agriculture, fight insecurity and improve school enrolment through school-feeding,” he said.

The President also directed the NEC to set up a committee to fast-track key projects, including the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry super highways. Additionally, he ordered the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to be moved to the presidency to aid the smooth delivery of his administration’s legacy projects nationwide.

During the meeting, the NEC endorsed the RHWDP, a ward-based initiative designed to accelerate growth by targeting Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards. The programme will operate through collaboration between federal, state, and local governments and is part of the broader Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Bagudu explained that the programme aims for a growth rate of 15 per cent—well above the current sub-four per cent level—drawing its legal basis from the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act.

Under the RHWDP, at least 1,000 economically active people in smaller wards and 2,000 in larger ones will receive targeted support for sustainable economic activity. A National Steering Committee, with representatives from all six geopolitical zones, will oversee implementation, with the Budget and Economic Planning Ministry serving as the secretariat.