President Bola Tinubu has approved a N17 billion Community-Based National Social Action Fund to drive development across Nigeria’s 8,804 political wards.
The initiative, announced in Abuja by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, is designed to boost grassroots participation in service delivery and improve living conditions in underserved communities.
In a statement signed by Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako, the ministry said the programme would be executed through a task force to coordinate community-led interventions nationwide.
Under the scheme, each ward will collaborate with a verified community-based organisation to identify and implement priority projects.
“The initiative will deploy community-driven interventions tailored to local needs, with each ward engaging a verified community-based entity to execute projects,” the statement said.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, said the programme marks a shift towards decentralised development.
“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.
Pate added that interventions would target critical areas such as nutrition, healthcare and basic infrastructure.
“Interventions may include community nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, as well as minor improvements in schools, health facilities and sanitation systems,” he said.
The programme is scheduled to run from March to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit under the ministry overseeing implementation.
Funding will be sourced from a dedicated intervention account managed by the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
“The sum of N17 billion will be released into a ring-fenced account to support implementation, monitoring and accountability,” the statement added.
The task force, to be chaired by the minister, will include representatives from finance, humanitarian services, procurement and anti-corruption agencies.
The initiative builds on earlier reforms such as the Social Action Fund introduced in 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform launched in January 2026 to ease access to project funding for local organisations.
Experts say the success of the programme will depend on effective monitoring and transparency to ensure funds are properly utilised.
In a related development, the president also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre to a National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases to strengthen disease surveillance and emergency response.
According to the ministry, the institute will serve as a centre for research, training and workforce development to enhance Nigeria’s capacity to manage infectious diseases.