President Bola Tinubu has approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting, as announced by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale in Abuja on Thursday. The program is designed to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy, and provide immediate economic relief for Nigerian households.
The NEC-supported program encompasses financial allocations and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in the country. A significant feature of the program is the N50,000 uplift grant, which will be distributed to 100,000 families per state for three months. Additionally, N155 billion has been earmarked for the purchase and distribution of assorted foodstuffs to address food security and affordability.
Infrastructure projects under the program include the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse seven states and is essential for agricultural sustainability. Other projects include the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Trans-Saharan Highway, full counterpart financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway, and the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway.
Furthermore, the NEC approved the allocation of N10 billion to each state and the Federal Capital Territory for the procurement of buses and the implementation of the Compressed Natural Gas Uplift Programme. Provisions have also been made for labor unions and civil society organizations.
President Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate in meeting citizens’ needs and boosting food production. He emphasized the importance of producing high-quality food for consumption, creating jobs in the process, and generating wealth through exports. Tinubu pledged support for the mechanization of agricultural processes, provision of high-quality seedlings, and solar-powered irrigation facilities.
In his address to the NEC, Tinubu stated, “Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.
“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanization of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.
“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).
