During the National Economic Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja, President Bola Tinubu approved the National Construction and Household Support Program.
Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesman, said in a statement that the program’s purposes are to increase agricultural output, develop the economy, and give Nigerian households instant financial relief.
Ngelale stated that, “The program, which has the backing of the NEC, consists of infrastructure projects and financial allotments throughout all of the nation’s geopolitical zones.”
He continued by saying that approving the N50,000 uplift grant, which will be given to 100,000 families per state for a three-month period, is an important part of the scheme.
Ngelale revealed that an additional N155 billion was being set aside for the procurement and dissemination of various food items throughout the country in order to tackle issues related to food affordability and security.
He stated that the program will also support infrastructural projects, like as the seven-state Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which is important for the sustainability of agriculture. He continued by saying that the states along this axis make up the country’s food belt.
The Trans-Saharan Highway and the current Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway are examples of further infrastructure projects. Additionally, Tinubu approved full counterpart finance for the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway’s Ibadan-Abuja segment as well as the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway.
Ngelale added that the NEC had authorized the N10 billion allocated to each state and the Federal Capital Territory for the purchase of buses and the execution of the program to upgrade compressed natural gas, in addition to the projects.
Provisions were also made for labor unions and civic society organizations, according to the presidential spokesman.
Tinubu requested that state governors to work together to address the needs of the populace and increase food production in the nation during the NEC meeting.
“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).
