₦airaland Forum

FG launches Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme to empower 8.8 million Nigerians across 8,809 electoral wards nationwide.

The federal government on Thursday unveiled plans to roll out targeted economic stimulus aimed at improving the livelihoods of more than 8.8 million Nigerians spread across the country’s 8,809 electoral wards nationwide.

The initiative, which seeks to deepen grassroots impact, marked one of the most ambitious attempts yet to align economic planning with Nigeria’s local governance structure, to ensure that no community is left behind in national development efforts.

According to him, the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning will be the Secretariat of the programme, highlighting that in the most recent report about Nigeria, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the 2025 article four consultation precisely encouraged Nigeria along this path.

He stated that the IMF acknowledged that the bold reforms have improved stability and enhanced resilience, liberalising and strengthening the function of the foreign exchange market, removing foreign subsidies, ending monetary policy, strengthening revenue administration and raising hydrocarbon production, which all have all contributed to improve macroeconomic stability.


“Mr president that always believes that to reduce poverty and food insecurity, we must invest collaboratively with federal and state in the creative energy of Nigerians and the geographical wards and having achieved the successes at the macroeconomic level, that is why this programme is unfolded today at the National Economic Council, which graciously approved the programme,” Bagudu stated.

In the same vein, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, acknowledged improved government revenue, spurred by key reforms, but stressed that the real test lies in delivering measurable impact to communities nationwide.

“We acknowledged Mr. President’s efforts in driving increased revenue generation and the positive results already being recorded. But the real challenge now is how this additional income will improve the lives of people at the grassroots.”

Uzodimma explained that the programme is designed to decentralise development, empower local communities, promote entrepreneurship, and create jobs directly within local economies.

“The meeting presented an opportunity for him to brief the governors and the need for the national government and subnational government to work together for the overall interest of our people and country, Nigeria.

“Well, we acknowledged his triumphs for revenue generation and the results already recorded as a result of the various reform policies of his administration. The country is earning more money now, the subnational governments are also earning more money.

“The president came up with a programme that will fast-track the process of this additional money creating a bigger impact on Nigerians by making sure that it trickles down to the grassroots. For that reason, they brought a programme to stimulate economic activities at the ward level,” the governor said.

Tinubu, who for the second time in days, advised governors to prioritise the welfare of Nigerians, said “We know the situation in the rural areas. Let us collaborate and do what will benefit the people.”

He urged the governors to invest more in the future of Nigerians, putting more money in rural electrification, agricultural mechanisation, poverty eradication and improved investment in infrastructure.

Tinubu’s charge to the governors, according to a statement by Media Assistant to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, followed a presentation on the RHWDP by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, at the 150th meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at the State House Council Chambers, Abuja.

The president implored the governors to do more to positively impact the lives of Nigerians in the grassroots, saying, “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.”

Tinubu urged the governors to collaborate with the federal government to drive economic development in rural areas across the country.


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

Accordingly, he directed NEC to set up a committee to enhance the actualisation of legacy projects, especially the Lagos-Calabar and the Sokoto-Badagry SuperHighways.

He also ordered the transfer of the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation from the Ministry of Works to the presidency to enhance the seamless actualisation of his administration’s legacy projects across the country.

NEC also directed the strengthening of State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) across all 36 states of the federation and asked the Federal Ministry of Finance to release emergency funds to address impending flood effects.

Council’s resolution came following a presentation by Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs Zubaida Umar, on the country’s 2025 flood preparedness and response initiatives during the council’s meeting.

NEMA’s presentation detailed the agency’s progress since 2024, including production of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy and Action Plan (2024-2027) with United Nations support, and ongoing validation of the Nigeria Hazard Risk Countrywide Analysis for 2024.

The agency has also improved civil-military coordination on disaster risk reduction and relief operations through partnerships with military disaster response units, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Red Cross.

Key preparedness actions undertaken in 2025 included expert review and analysis of meteorological forecasts, with NEMA communicating flood predictions to state governments between May and June.

The agency has strengthened SEMAs and established Local Emergency Management Committees, while activating the Emergency Coordination Forum involving military, police and civil defence disaster response units.

The Emergency Operations Centre was activated on May 29, 2025, with national and zonal centres now operational. NEMA has deployed search and rescue equipment to high-risk states and continues downscaling early warning messages across all 36 states to local communities through the National Preparedness and Response Campaign.

NEMA, however, identified persistent challenges hindering effective flood response to include weak drainage infrastructure, delayed data reporting from states, insecurity in flood-prone areas, limited functionality of SEMAs and inactive Local Emergency Management Committees.

Additional concerns included poor compliance with urban planning and building codes, alongside inadequate environmental hygiene and waste management systems.

State governments were urged to fully strengthen SEMAs, operationalise Local Emergency Management Committees, enforce physical planning laws and building code compliance, and institutionalise monthly environmental sanitation while prioritising disaster preparedness funding in annual budgets.

Local government areas and communities were specifically directed to take ownership of local risk mitigation efforts, engage actively in awareness campaigns, and report early signs of flood risk to appropriate authorities.

To this end, council directed the Federal Ministry of Finance to release funds to each state of the Federation, the FCT and some Federal Agencies for this year’s flood preparedness.

Govs Lament Challenges in Education Sector, Say They Are Facing Serious Crisis

Governors of the 36 states of the federation, on Thursday, lamented serious challenges confronting them in the education sector. The governors said the foundational skills were critical building blocks for achieving educational objectives.

Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed this during the State-Level Workshop on Foundational Learning and Out-of-School Children.

AbdulRazaq, in his speech read by NGF Education Advisor, Leo The Great, said, “Nigeria is faced with a crisis. We are dealing with some out-of-school children. However, enrollment in school for most children does not translate into actual learning.”

He disclosed that nationwide data indicated a 66% out-of-school rate among primary school-age children in Nigeria, noting that the poor quality of education has led to high dropout rates, as well as low transition and completion levels.

*”Foundational skills are not merely the end goal of an educational system; they are also critical building blocks for achieving other educational objectives, including retention and progression from one level to the next.

*“As critical stakeholders in the education ecosystem, we understand that there is now a focus standing on the provision of quality education, especially for foundational learning, to enhance the success of globally tested learning methodology and technology,” he said.

*As part of the challenges, the chairman of the governors forum expressed concern that the education sector’s workforce was both insufficient and undervalued.

“Specifically, basic education and the course of national governance in Nigeria are underfunded. Lack of characterisation of the issues of conditional training, absence of appropriate learning materials and independent training and literacy, lack of familiarity with recent research in the operations of conditional training and digital literacy skills.

•”Also, weak local capacity and monitoring and evaluation of conditional training disruptions and outcomes, insufficiency of available points, low level of awareness and support from families and communities for conditional training skills, and lack of commitment among state and non-state actors in addressing these challenges are key factors in developing the education sector and in feeding on basic proficiency in numeracy and literacy in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian Governors Forum expects this workshop to strengthen motivation for federal and state policymakers in driving and sustaining evidence-based reforms to improve implementation of foundational learning and reduce the out-of-school children challenges across the states of the federation.”

In his remarks, the UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, said despite ongoing political and systemic barriers, Nigeria’s education system is still battling deep-rooted challenges.

•Garba, represented by UBEC Deputy Secretary, Technical, Rasaq Akinyemi, stressed the need for Nigeria to build on existing achievements and ensure inclusive education, affirming that every Nigerian child has the right to quality education.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has decried the ongoing violence in the South-East region, accusing some elements within the region of falsely blaming Fulani herdsmen for the crisis.

Igbokwe made the remarks in a Facebook post on Thursday, where he alleged that the spate of killings and destruction in the South-East was being perpetrated by fellow Igbos.

“The blatant and pathological lies about the killings and destruction in the South East can no longer stand.

“It is Igbo killing Igbo, it is Igbo destroying Igboland and put the blame on Hausa/Fulani herdsmen. This is not our culture. This is sad,” he wrote.

The APC stalwart, who hails from Anambra State, is known for his vocal stance on issues affecting the Igbo region and has consistently called for an end to what he describes as self-inflicted violence.

PUNCH Online reports that on Wednesday, Igbokwe also raised the alarm over what he described as the unchecked and growing menace of ethnic bigotry in Nigeria. https://punchng.com/ethnic-bigotry-spreading-like-wildfire-igbokwe-showunmi-raise-the-alarm/

In a statement also posted on his Facebook page, Igbokwe expressed deep concern, warning that many Nigerians are blind to the looming consequences of ethnic divisions.

He wrote, “Good morning Nigerians! Ethnic bigotry is growing hopelessly like wildfire in Nigeria, and our eyes are not open to see the danger.

“I pray that the veil covering our eyes will be removed so that we can see clearly. Make we de play ooo.”

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has sounded the alarm over what he describes as the unchecked and growing menace of ethnic bigotry in Nigeria.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Igbokwe expressed deep concern, warning that many Nigerians are blind to the looming consequences of ethnic divisions.

He wrote, “Good morning Nigerians! Ethnic bigotry is growing hopelessly like wildfire in Nigeria and our eyes are not open to see the danger. I pray that the veil covering our eyes will be removed so that we can see clearly. Make we de play ooo.“

Reacting to the post, Segun Showunmi, a former spokesperson to Atiku Abubakar during the 2019 presidential election, echoed the fears, describing ethnic bigotry as a ticking time bomb, warning that the failure of leadership to curb the trend could have explosive consequences.

Showunmi, wrote, “I have been screaming against this and it is one major pillar of The Alternative no one who thinks deeply can be happy with the madness being tolerated and those in charge are doing nothing to signal enough is enough! Let us pray they have a containment strategy in case things blow up in all our faces. How we pretend not to see the danger beats me.”

At least two soldiers and two vigilante members were reportedly killed in the early hours of Tuesday after they were ambushed by suspected bandits in the Dogon Ruwa community of Bashar District, Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

It was gathered that the armed assailants laid an ambush for the security team around 1:00 a.m. while they were trailing the gang following an earlier attempted attack in the area.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the attack, the bandits reportedly carted away rifles belonging to the slain soldiers.

Daily Trust reports that Abdullahi Yakubu, the traditional leader of Safiyo, under whose jurisdiction Dogon Ruwa falls, confirmed the incident.

He condemned the attack, stating that the victims were caught off guard.

Yakubu said, “There was a report that the bandits were coming to attack Dogon Ruwa, and people quickly alerted security forces who quickly mobilised and moved to where they were said to have been sighted.

“While on their way to the area, unknown to the security, the bandits had laid an ambush and opened fire at them, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and two vigilantes."

Another resident of the community, Ibrahim Sale, commenting on the incident, said, “After killing the security personnel, the bandits also took away the soldiers' rifles and uniforms.”

Sale added that the attack has sparked confusion and growing resentment among residents of Dogon Ruwa and neighbouring communities.

When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, he refused to respond. Subsequent attempts to reach him by phone were also declined.

While Nigerians are urged to endure economic hardship "like labor pains," some governors are splurging billions on new government houses, @TheAfricaReport reveals » /3H5jxh9

@BudgITng warns that "instead of funding schools, clinics, or agriculture, leaders prioritize buildings they barely use."

@cislacnigeria adds: "There is more money, little accountability, and no priority."

Such alleged lack of fiscal responsibility fuels inequality and erodes public trust.

#TransparencyTuesday