.jpg)
In a decisive move to accelerate grassroots development and deepen local participation in governance, President Bola Tinubu has approved a ₦17 billion Community-Based National Social Action Fund. The initiative will directly benefit all 8,804 political wards across Nigeria, marking a significant shift toward decentralised, community-led development.
The approval, announced today in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, establishes a new task force to drive interventions through verified community-based organisations (CBOs) in each ward. Under the programme, every ward will identify and execute priority projects tailored to its specific needs, ranging from nutrition support and essential health commodities to minor infrastructure improvements in schools, health facilities, and sanitation systems.
“This approach places communities at the centre of development,” said Prof. Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. “By enabling each ward to identify and implement its priority needs, we are unlocking practical solutions that directly improve livelihoods and strengthen service delivery where it matters most.”
The project timeline runs from March 1, 2026 to December 2026, with a Programme Management Unit housed within the ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach Coordination Office overseeing execution. Funding will be disbursed from a ring-fenced special intervention account managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
To ensure transparency and accountability, a multi-agency task force will be chaired by the health minister and include key officials from finance, humanitarian services, procurement, and anti-corruption agencies.
The new fund builds on earlier reforms, including the creation of the Social Action Fund in 2023 and the Community-Based Procurement Platform introduced in January 2026, which simplified access for community organisations to deliver projects of up to ₦50 million.
In a related development, the President also approved the upgrade of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Training Centre in Zaria to the National Institute of Public Health and Infectious Diseases. The upgraded institute will serve as a multidisciplinary hub for public health training, research, and workforce development, strengthening Nigeria’s capacity for disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and rapid response.
“The scope of interventions reflects urgent grassroots needs across sectors,” Minister Pate added. “Interventions may include community nutrition support, provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, as well as minor infrastructure improvements.”
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will release detailed operational guidelines for CBO engagement and project selection in the coming weeks. Monitoring and evaluation frameworks are being finalised with anti-corruption agencies to safeguard funds and ensure measurable outcomes.