President Bola Tinubu has approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme.
He made the declaration during the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, the program aims to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy, and provide immediate economic relief for Nigerian households.
Supported by the National Economic Council (NEC), the program includes financial allocations and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in the country.
A key component is the approval of a ₦50,000 uplift grant, to be distributed to 100,000 families per state for three months.
Ngelale revealed that an additional ₦155 billion has been allocated for the purchase and distribution of assorted foodstuffs nationwide to address concerns about food security and affordability.
He also disclosed that the program includes infrastructure projects such as the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will pass through seven states and is crucial for agricultural sustainability. These states form the nation’s food belt.
Ngelale revealed that an additional ₦155 billion is allocated for purchasing and distributing food nationwide to improve food security. Infrastructure projects include the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and the Trans-Saharan Highway. Tinubu also approved funding for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway and the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Railway.
NEC approved ₦10 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory to procure buses and implement the Compressed Natural Gas program. Provisions are also made for labor unions and civil society organizations.
Tinubu urged governors to collaborate to meet citizens’ needs and boost food production.
“Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.
“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.
“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).
“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.
“How much support do you need from me, and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days.”
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