By Mercy Gadia
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a ₦17bn Community-Based National Social Action Fund aimed at driving grassroots development across Nigeria’s 8,804 wards.
The Federal Government disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, noting that the initiative would be implemented through a newly constituted taskforce.
According to the statement, the intervention is designed to accelerate socio-economic development by allowing communities to identify and execute priority projects through verified local organisations.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said the initiative represents 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 and strengthen service delivery where it matters most,” he said.
The government explained that the programme builds on earlier reforms, including the establishment of the Social Action Fund in September 2023 and the approval of a Community-Based Procurement Platform in January 2026, which allows community organisations to access project funding of up to ₦50m.
It added that implementation would run from March 1 to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit domiciled in the Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office of the ministry to oversee execution.
The statement noted that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had been directed to release ₦17bn into a ring-fenced account to support implementation, monitoring, and accountability.
The minister further stated that interventions under the scheme would include nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, as well as minor infrastructure upgrades in schools, healthcare facilities, and sanitation systems.
The taskforce will be chaired by the health minister and include representatives from key ministries and agencies, including the Bureau of Public Procurement, Budget Office of the Federation, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
Meanwhile, the President also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre to the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases.
The government said the upgrade aligns with its Renewed Hope Agenda and is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s disease surveillance system, emergency preparedness, and response capacity.
The institute, located in Zaria, will serve as a multidisciplinary hub for training, research, and workforce development in public health, expanding access to advanced learning and improving readiness to tackle infectious disease outbreaks.