Tinubu Approves ₦17bn Grassroots Fund, Moves To Strengthen Nigeria’s Public Health System
In a bold attempt to take development directly to the people, the Federal Government is shifting power to Nigeria’s smallest administrative units, its wards, where everyday challenges are most deeply felt.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a ₦17 billion Community-Based National Social Action Fund aimed at driving grassroots development across the country’s 8,804 wards.
The initiative, announced on Wednesday, will see each ward work with verified community-based organisations to identify and execute priority projects tailored to local needs.
It builds on earlier reforms, including the Social Action Fund introduced in 2023 and a community-based procurement platform launched in January 2026 to ease access to project funding.
A task force has been established to oversee the programme, with implementation scheduled between March and December 2026.
Funds will be disbursed through a ring-fenced account to ensure transparency, monitoring, and accountability.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, described the move as a turning point in service delivery.
“This approach places communities at the centre of development,” he said, noting that interventions will range from nutrition support and essential health supplies to small-scale improvements in schools, healthcare facilities, and sanitation systems.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Zaria to a full-fledged National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases.
The new institute is expected to boost Nigeria’s capacity in disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and rapid response, while serving as a hub for research, training, and workforce development in public health.
The twin decisions signal a broader strategy by the Federal Government to strengthen both community-level development and national health security under its Renewed Hope Agenda.
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