President Bola Tinubu has greenlit the National Development and Family Assistance Programme at the National Economic Council meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale announced that the initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, bolster the economy, and provide immediate economic relief to Nigerian families.
Ngelale explained that the NEC-backed programme includes financial support and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in Nigeria.
A significant aspect of the programme is the approval of a N50,000 aid grant to be distributed to 100,000 families per state for three months.
Additionally, Ngelale revealed that N155 billion has been allocated for purchasing and distributing various food items nationwide to address food security and affordability issues.
The initiative also covers infrastructure projects, such as the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which spans seven states and is crucial for agricultural sustainability. These states form the nation’s food belt.
Other infrastructure projects include the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway. Tinubu also approved full counterpart financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway and the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway.
Furthermore, Ngelale stated that the NEC approved N10 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory to procure buses and implement the Compressed Natural Gas uplift programme.
Provisions were also made for labor unions and civil society organizations, according to the presidential spokesman.
During the NEC meeting, Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate in addressing citizens’ needs and enhancing 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,” he said.
“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.”
