In a bid to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy, and provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme, covering all geo-political zones of the country.
Under this programme, several key infrastructure projects are prioritized, including the Sokoto-Badagry Highway. This highway will traverse the states of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos.
Other critical projects include the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway, which links Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja.
Additionally, the President has approved full counterpart financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway, which will pass through Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno. Similarly, the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway will traverse Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.
The Sokoto-Badagry road project is especially prioritized due to its strategic importance for agricultural sustainability, impacting 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land within its corridor.
The National Construction and Household Support Programme also includes:
- A one-off allocation of N10 billion to states and the Federal Capital Territory for the procurement of buses and a CNG uplift programme.
- Delivery of N50,000 uplift grants to 100,000 families per state for three months.
- Provisions for labor unions and civil society organizations.
- Deployment of N155 billion for the purchase and distribution of assorted foodstuffs across the nation.
During the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Tinubu emphasized the urgency of boosting food production and urged state governors to collaborate to meet the needs of citizens.
He expressed his commitment to providing the necessary support to alleviate hardships faced by Nigerians.
“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,” President Tinubu said.
“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). There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.”
President Tinubu concluded by asking the governors to report back after their consultations with specific support requirements.
“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels. Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days.”