President Bola Tinubu has launched five integrated Social Development programmes worth approximately $3.05 billion, aimed at reducing poverty, strengthening community resilience, and improving healthcare and education in Nigeria.
The projects were officially unveiled in Abuja on Thursday by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, who represented the President.
The social development programmes initiatives include the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing (NG-CARES), the Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID) program, and the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) package, which includes HOPE Gov, HOPE PHC, and HOPE Education.
The president also noted that these measures would translate 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 further announced that NG-CARES will receive an additional $1.25 billion in World Bank funding to support smallholder farmers and small businesses.
He explained that the SOLID project, backed by $300 million from the World Bank, will bridge the gap between emergency humanitarian aid and long-term development for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and their host communities.
Additionally, the president noted that the $1.5 billion HOPE initiative is designed to upgrade primary healthcare services, foundational education, teacher training, and public school governance.
“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.”
The president stated that expanded cash transfer programs have reached 15 million vulnerable households, lifting an estimated 7.5 million Nigerians out of poverty.
He called on state and local governments, development partners, and implementing agencies to guarantee the effective execution of these projects.
Reforms Must Reach The Poor-Bagudu
Speaking on the initiative, minister of budget and economic planning Atiku Bagudu decsried the social development intervention 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.
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According to him, the programs were designed to improve lives and build human capital while cushioning the impact of global economic shocks.
The Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, Ali Pate, stated that the HOPE primary healthcare (HOPE-PHC) component would provide about 40 million Nigerians with better access to high-quality healthcare.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, noted that the $562 million HOPE-EDU program would extend the Nigeria education sector renewal plan to approximately 30 million children.
He added that the initiative would support 500,000 teachers, 65,000 public schools, and the development of new school facilities nationwide.
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