President Bola Tinubu has greenlit the National Construction and Household Support Programme during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held on Thursday in Abuja.

Tinubu Approves N50,000 Grant and N155bn Food Package for Households

As stated by the presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, this initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen the economy, and offer immediate economic relief to Nigerian households.

Ngelale highlighted that the NEC-backed programme includes financial allocations and infrastructure projects across all geo-political zones in Nigeria. A significant part of this initiative is the approval of a N50,000 uplift grant, set to be distributed to 100,000 families in each state for three months.

Additionally, Ngelale announced that N155 billion has been allocated for the purchase and distribution of various foodstuffs nationwide to address food security and affordability issues.

The programme will also focus on infrastructure projects like the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse seven states and is deemed crucial for agricultural sustainability. These states form the nation’s food belt.

Other key infrastructure projects include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway. President Tinubu has also approved full counterpart financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway and the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway.

Moreover, the NEC has approved an 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 (CNG) uplift programme. Provisions were also made for labor unions and civil society organizations.

During the NEC meeting, President Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate to meet the needs of citizens and boost food production in the country. He emphasized the importance of timely action, saying, “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.”

He assured the governors of support in mechanizing agricultural processes and providing high-quality seedlings, adding, “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).”

President Tinubu stressed the importance of food production, saying, “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.”

He concluded by asking, “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.”

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