PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on state governors to intensify efforts in tackling poverty and developing rural communities by investing in electrification, agricultural mechanisation, infrastructure, and welfare initiatives.
Speaking at the 150th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the need for stronger federal-state collaboration to uplift rural populations and stimulate inclusive economic growth.
“I appeal to you—let’s change the story of our rural communities,” Tinubu said, according to a statement from his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha. “The economy is on the path to recovery, but we must channel growth to the grassroots.”
The President stressed the importance of enhancing food security through modern farming practices, tackling insecurity, and boosting school enrolment with effective school-feeding programs.
During the meeting, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, presented the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP)—a new strategy focused on ward-level interventions across Nigeria’s 8,809 administrative wards.
The NEC unanimously endorsed the RHWDP as a joint initiative of federal, state, and local governments. The programme, anchored on Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to help achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030 by targeting a 15% growth rate—far above the current rate of under 4%.
The RHWDP draws its legal framework from the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, which mandates state policy toward ensuring food security and improved production methods.
Its key targets include sustainable support for economic activities with minimum thresholds of 1,000 economically active individuals for smaller wards and 2,000 for larger ones.
A National Steering Committee comprising representatives from all six geopolitical zones will oversee the implementation, with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as secretariat.