President Bola Tinubu has approved ₦17 billion for a community-based national social action fund aimed at driving grassroots development across Nigeria’s 8,804 electoral wards.
The initiative was announced on Wednesday in a statement issued by Ado Bako, assistant director of information and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
According to the statement, each ward will partner with a verified community-based organisation to implement priority projects based on local needs.
Bako said the programme will run from March to December 2026 and will be managed by a programme management unit under the ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) coordination office.
He explained that the approval builds on earlier reforms, including the creation of the Social Action Fund in 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform approved in 2026 to ease access for community organisations handling projects of up to ₦50 million.
The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation have been directed to release the ₦17 billion into a dedicated intervention account to support implementation, monitoring, communication and accountability.
Initiative Expected to Drive Development at Community Level
Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammad Pate said the initiative is designed to strengthen locally driven development and improve service delivery at the community level.
He said interventions will cover areas such as nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities, and small infrastructure upgrades in schools, health centres and sanitation facilities.
“This approach places communities at the centre of development,” Pate said, adding that each ward will identify and implement its priority projects.
The programme will be overseen by a task force chaired by the minister, with members drawn from the Ministries of Finance, Humanitarian Affairs, and Health, as well as agencies including the Budget Office, Bureau of Public Procurement, and the ICPC.
Under the scheme, each ward is expected to receive an estimated N1.9 million for development projects.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.