President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on state governors to increase investment in sectors that directly impact the lives of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in rural areas, urging a renewed focus on poverty eradication, power, agriculture, and infrastructure development.

Speaking during the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, the President said governors must work in partnership with the Federal Government to drive grassroots development and economic expansion.

“I want to appeal to you; let us change the story of our people in the rural areas.”

“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 said.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha on Thursday.

The President stressed the importance of agricultural mechanisation, improved school enrolment through feeding programmes, and enhanced rural electrification as catalysts for inclusive growth. He maintained that achieving meaningful development would require aggressive and focused intervention at the grassroots level.

His comments followed a presentation by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, on the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP), a new grassroots-focused economic strategy targeting all 8,809 administrative wards across Nigeria’s 36 states.

Shettima chairs NEC meeting

The NEC, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, gave full endorsement to the RHWDP, which aligns with the administration’s broader economic goal of attaining a $1 trillion economy by 2030 through a 15% annual growth rate. The current growth rate remains under 4%.

According to Bagudu, the initiative is grounded in the 1999 Constitution and the Fifth Alteration Act, which mandates government policies toward food security and modernised production systems. It sets out minimum economic activity thresholds of 1,000 active individuals per small ward and 2,000 for larger ones.

President Tinubu also ordered the immediate transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation to the Presidency to facilitate the seamless execution of critical infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry Super Highways.

A National Steering Committee, with representation from all six geopolitical zones, will oversee the RHWDP’s implementation, with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning serving as its secretariat.

In a related development, NEC directed the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) nationwide, following a presentation by Zubaida Umar, Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), on the threat of impending floods. The council also tasked the Federal Ministry of Finance with releasing emergency intervention funds to mitigate the anticipated impact.