The Federal Government has approved a ₦17 billion community-led development fund targeting Nigeria’s 8,804 wards, alongside the upgrade of a major health institution in Zaria to strengthen the country’s public health capacity.
The initiative, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will establish a Community-Based National Social Action Fund Taskforce to drive grassroots development through locally tailored interventions.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday, by Ado Barko, Assistant Director, Information and Public Relations from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The programme will empower each ward to engage verified community-based organisations to implement priority projects aligned with local needs.
The development builds on earlier reforms, including the creation of the Social Action Fund in 2023 and the introduction of a Community-Based Procurement Platform in 2026, designed to simplify access for grassroots organisations to execute projects valued at up to ₦50 million.
Implementation is scheduled to run from March to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit to be housed within the Ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office to oversee execution.
To support the initiative, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation have been directed to release ₦17 billion into a dedicated intervention account to ensure transparency, monitoring and accountability.
Speaking on the development, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, described the programme as a major shift toward community-driven service delivery.
“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,” he said.
Pate explained that interventions would include nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities, and minor infrastructure upgrades in schools, healthcare facilities and sanitation systems.
The Taskforce will be chaired by the Health Minister and include key government officials such as the Ministers of Finance and Humanitarian Affairs, as well as heads of critical agencies including the Bureau of Public Procurement, Budget Office of the Federation, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
In a related development, the President also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Zaria into the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases.
The new institute is expected to serve as a multidisciplinary hub for research, training and workforce development, boosting Nigeria’s capacity for disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and rapid response to infectious disease threats.
The move aligns with the administration’s broader health sector reforms aimed at improving resilience and expanding access to quality public health services nationwide.