President Bola Tinubu has launched five coordinated programmes worth about $3.05 billion aimed at reducing poverty, strengthening community resilience and improving healthcare and education across Nigeria.
Tinubu, represented by Taiwo Oyedele, minister of finance
and coordinating minister of the economy, unveiled the programmes in Abuja on
Thursday.
The initiatives comprise the Nigeria community action for
resilience and economic stimulus additional Financing (NG-CARES), the Solutions
for Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID) programme, and the Human
Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) package, which includes
HOPE Gov, HOPE PHC and HOPE Edu.
The president said the interventions would convert recent
macroeconomic gains into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
“This is not just a set of programmes; these are promises
kept,” Tinubu said.
“On our Renewed Hope agenda, we came into office pledging to
reform our economy, secure the nation, and invest in our people.
“Today, we act on that pledge — protecting the vulnerable,
empowering communities, and building the human capital that will carry Nigeria
forward.”
‘ONE COORDINATED NATIONAL STRATEGY’
Tinubu said NG-CARES would receive about $1.25 billion in
additional World Bank financing to support smallholder farmers and small
businesses.
He said SOLID, backed by $300 million from the World Bank,
would bridge humanitarian relief and long-term development for IDPs and their
host communities.
The president added that the $1.5 billion HOPE package would
strengthen primary healthcare, foundational learning, teacher development and
governance in public education.
“These five programmes are not separate efforts. They are
one coordinated national strategy for poverty reduction, human capital
development and community resilience,” he said.
“Livelihoods, healthcare, education, social protection and
support for displaced communities reinforce one another where it matters most —
at the grassroots.”
Tinubu said the country’s recent economic improvements had
laid the foundation for broader social investments.
“Our real GDP grew by 11.2 percent and nearly 10 percent per
capita income growth in US dollar terms last year, and we are on track for a
repeat this year,” he said.
“Our foreign reserves have surpassed $50 billion. Inflation
has fallen sharply from its 2024 peak.
“These are not abstract figures; they are the foundation for
the next phase of our national development.”
The president said expanded cash transfers had reached 15
million vulnerable households, lifting an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians out
of poverty.
He urged state and local governments, development partners
and implementing agencies to ensure effective delivery of the programmes.
“The success of these programmes will rest on delivery and
transparency,” he said.
BAGUDU: REFORMS MUST REACH THE POOREST
Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning,
described the interventions as a “whole-of-government” response to rising
living costs and poverty.
“This event represents yet another milestone in our
collective efforts to translate the vision of the renewed hope agenda of Mr.
President into concrete interventions that directly touch the lives of poor and
vulnerable Nigerians,” Bagudu said.
He said the programmes were designed to cushion the effects
of global economic shocks while strengthening livelihoods and human capital.
According to him, the original NG-CARES programme reached
about 17.6 million beneficiaries between 2021 and 2025.
Bagudu added that the additional financing would deepen
support for smallholder farmers, micro and small businesses, and vulnerable
communities.
Ali Pate, minister of health and coordinating minister of
social welfare, said the HOPE primary health care (HOPE PHC) component would
improve access to quality healthcare for about 40 million Nigerians.
He said the $570 million programme would reduce maternal and
under-five mortality while strengthening primary healthcare services across the
36 states and the FCT.
“The HOPE PHC programme aims to reduce maternal and
under-five mortality rates and enhance the resilience of Nigeria’s health
system, benefiting around 40 million people,” the minister said.
“This is about ensuring that a woman in a rural community
does not fear childbirth, children access lifesaving vaccines, and families
receive treatment for malaria, hypertension and other common illnesses close to
home.”
Pate said more than 3,000 primary healthcare centres across
the country had already been upgraded, with another 1,000 nearing completion.
He added that over 69,000 frontline health workers had been
trained, while quarterly visits to primary healthcare centres had increased
from fewer than 10 million in early 2023 to 45.5 million.
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, said the $562 million
HOPE edu programme would extend the Nigeria education sector renewal initiative
to nearly 30 million children.
He said the programme would support 65,000 public schools,
500,000 teachers and new school infrastructure across the country.
“Education remains the biggest investment any responsible
government can make for its citizens,” Alausa said.
“Our administration remains committed to ensuring every
single Nigerian child has access to quality education and opportunities needed
to succeed in the modern world.”
He said the programme would reduce learning poverty,
strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, and introduce a digital
information system to monitor education performance nationwide.
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