President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a community-based national social action fund task force to drive grassroots development and accelerate socio-economic improvements across Nigeria’s 8,804 wards.

Ado Bako, spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to him, the initiative will deploy community-driven interventions tailored to local needs, with each ward engaging a verified community-based entity, organisation, or association to implement priority projects.

He said the approval builds on earlier reforms, including the creation of the Social Action Fund in September 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform approved in January 2026, designed to simplify access for community organisations to deliver projects of up to N50 million.

According to Mr Bako, to ensure effective implementation, the President approved a project timeline commencing March 1, with delivery expected by December.

He added that a Programme Management Unit would be domiciled at the ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office to oversee execution.

He further said that the finance ministry and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation had been directed to release N17 billion into a ring-fenced special intervention account to support implementation, monitoring, communication, and accountability.

Mr Bako said the task force would be chaired by the ministers of finance and humanitarian affairs, the permanent secretary at the health ministry, the directors-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Budget Office of the Federation, the chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and a national coordinator.

Speaking on the development, health minister Muhammad Pate stated that the initiative marks a shift toward locally driven service delivery.

The minister noted that interventions may include community nutrition support, the provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, and minor infrastructure improvements in schools, health facilities, and sanitation systems.

In a related development, the president also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre, Zaria to the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases.

The upgrade, the federal government said, aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and rapid response.

The institute will function as a multidisciplinary hub for public health training, research, and workforce development, expanding access to advanced learning and strengthening the country’s readiness to manage infectious disease threats.

(NAN)