President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a ₦17 billion Community-Based National Social Action Fund aimed at boosting development at the grassroots level across Nigeria’s 8,804 wards.
The initiative, announced in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, is designed to strengthen community participation in governance and improve living conditions through locally driven projects.
Under the programme, each ward will partner with a verified community-based organisation to identify and execute priority projects tailored to its specific needs.
A dedicated task force has been set up to coordinate and oversee implementation nationwide.
According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, the initiative marks a shift toward decentralised development, empowering communities to take charge of solutions that directly affect them.
Planned interventions will cover critical areas such as nutrition support, provision of essential medical supplies, and minor upgrades to schools, healthcare centres, and sanitation systems.
The programme is scheduled to run from March to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit within the ministry supervising execution.
Funding will be drawn from a dedicated account managed in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to ensure transparency and accountability.
Officials noted that the initiative builds on earlier reforms, including the Social Action Fund introduced in 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform launched in 2026, both aimed at improving access for grassroots organisations to deliver projects efficiently.
Experts say the success of the scheme will depend heavily on effective monitoring and safeguards to prevent misuse of funds, especially given ongoing disparities in access to basic services across many communities.
In a related move, the President also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Zaria into a National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in disease control, research, and emergency response.