The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a ₦17 billion Community-Based National Social Action Fund (SAF) to drive socio-economic growth across Nigeria’s 8,804 wards. The initiative, which will be spearheaded by a newly established task force, aims to empower local communities to address their unique development needs through targeted, grassroots interventions.
This funding will support community-driven projects, with each ward partnering with a verified community-based entity to implement key initiatives that directly address local challenges. The SAF Taskforce, which includes senior government officials and key health and social welfare experts, is expected to deliver the program by December 2026, with the goal of enhancing living standards across the country.
The approved ₦17 billion will be deposited into a special intervention account managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General’s office. The program will focus on critical areas such as nutrition support, healthcare provisions including essential health commodities, and minor infrastructure improvements in schools, health facilities, and sanitation systems.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, emphasized the transformative potential of the initiative, noting that it represents a shift towards community-led development. “This approach places communities at the center of development, allowing each ward to identify and address its priorities with practical solutions that directly improve livelihoods and service delivery.”
The Taskforce will be chaired by Prof. Pate and include a range of government officials, including the Ministers of Finance, Humanitarian Affairs, and State for Health and Social Welfare. A Programme Management Unit within the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office will oversee the execution of the projects.
In a related development, President Tinubu has approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre (NTBLTC) in Zaria to the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases. This upgrade is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to enhance Nigeria’s ability to respond to public health challenges, focusing on disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and research. The Institute will serve as a key hub for training, research, and workforce development in the public health sector, reinforcing the nation’s readiness to tackle infectious diseases.
These initiatives mark significant steps towards addressing Nigeria’s development needs and bolstering public health infrastructure in the face of growing challenges.
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