President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a ₦17 billion Community-Led Development Fund targeting Nigeria’s 8,804 wards, in a move aimed at accelerating grassroots development and improving socio-economic outcomes nationwide.
The initiative, announced by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, will be implemented through a newly established Community-Based National Social Action Fund Taskforce. The programme is designed to empower local communities to identify and execute priority projects tailored to their specific needs.
Under the plan, each ward will engage a verified community-based organisation or association to implement interventions. These may include nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, as well as minor infrastructure upgrades in schools, health facilities, and sanitation systems.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, described the initiative as a major shift towards decentralised service delivery.
“This approach places communities at the centre of development. By enabling each ward to identify and implement its priority needs, we are unlocking practical solutions that directly improve livelihoods,” he said.
The programme built on earlier reforms, including the Social Action Fund introduced in 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform approved in January 2026. A project timeline has been set from March to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit to be domiciled within the Ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office.
To support execution, the Federal Government has directed the release of ₦17 billion into a ring-fenced special intervention account, with oversight spanning implementation, monitoring, communication, and accountability.
The Taskforce will be chaired by the Health Minister and include key government officials such as the Ministers of Finance and Humanitarian Affairs, alongside heads of critical agencies including the Bureau of Public Procurement, Budget Office, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Zaria to the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases.
The new institute is expected to serve as a multidisciplinary hub for public health training, research, and workforce development, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and rapid response to infectious disease threats.
The move aligned with the administration’s broader health sector reforms under its Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at improving resilience and expanding access to quality healthcare across the country.
