The Federal Government has initiated the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, a grassroots-focused economic support plan set to empower over 8.8 million economically active Nigerians, including small business operators, artisans, and local producers.
Approved by the National Economic Council (NEC) and spearheaded by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the programme will identify and support at least 1,000 economically active individuals in each of Nigeria's 8,809 wards. Beneficiaries will receive targeted assistance to scale local production, expand business operations, and improve livelihoods.
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Speaking after the NEC session chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, explained that the initiative is designed to channel recent macroeconomic gains into tangible, local-level outcomes. "The President came up with a programme to ensure that this additional revenue being earned at both federal and subnational levels creates real impact at the grassroots," he said.
Budget and Planning Minister, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the programme as a historic shift in the government's reform agenda. "Having stabilized the macroeconomy, the next step is to drill down development to the lowest levels—creating jobs, reducing poverty, enhancing food security, and boosting small-scale enterprises," he said. A technical committee will soon be formed to coordinate implementation with state governments.
