President Bola Tinubu approved the National Construction and Household Support Programme at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
According to a statement released by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, the project aims to increase agricultural output, strengthen the economy, and provide urgent economic relief to Nigerian people.
Ngelale stated that the NEC-supported programme comprises cash allocations and infrastructure projects across the country’s geopolitical zones.
He also stated that the approval of the N50,000 uplift grant, which will be paid to 100,000 families per state for three months, is a critical component of the programme.
Tinubu’s spokesman disclosed that an additional N155 billion has been set aside for the procurement and distribution of various foodstuffs around the country to address concerns regarding food security and cost.
He said that the scheme will also fund infrastructural projects, including as the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will go across seven states and is regarded as critical to agricultural sustainability. He went on to say that the states along this axis serve as the nation’s food belt.
Other infrastructure projects are the continuing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway.
Tinubu also approved full counterpart finance for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway and the Ibadan-Abuja section of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway.
In addition to the initiatives, Ngelale stated that the NEC granted N10 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory to purchase buses and undertake the Compressed Natural Gas Uplift Programme.
According to the presidential spokesman, measures have also been established for work unions and civil society organizations.
During the NEC meeting, Tinubu asked state governors to unite in meeting citizens’ needs and increasing food production in the country.
He said, “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).
“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.
“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.”
