Tinubu
…$552 million education drive backed by World Bank, GPE
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday unveiled five landmark social and development programmes worth about 3.05 billion dollars to accelerate poverty reduction, strengthen community resilience and deepen investment in human capital.
Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, inaugurated the programmes at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The initiatives comprise the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Additional Financing (NG-CARES AF) and the Solutions for Internally Displaced and Host Communities (SOLID).
Others are; the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE-GOV, HOPE-PHC and HOPE-EDU).
“This is not just a set of programmes; these are promises kept.
“Today, we act on our pledge by protecting the vulnerable, empowering communities and building the human capital that will carry Nigeria forward,” Tinubu said.
He said the programmes formed a single national strategy to translate recent macroeconomic gains into improved livelihoods through investments in livelihoods, healthcare, education, social protection and support for displaced communities.
Tinubu said NG-CARES would receive about 1.25 billion dollars in additional World Bank financing to support smallholder farmers and small businesses, while SOLID would deploy 300 million dollars to assist internally displaced persons and host communities.
He said the 1.5 billion-dollar HOPE package would strengthen primary healthcare, foundational education, teacher support and governance reforms in public education nationwide.
“These five programmes are one coordinated national strategy for poverty reduction, human capital development and community resilience.”
Tinubu said Nigeria’s economic reforms had strengthened the foundation for inclusive growth, citing rising foreign reserves, declining inflation and improved economic performance.
“These are not abstract figures; they are the foundation for the next phase of our national development.”
He added that expanded cash transfers had reached 15 million vulnerable households.
The president urged federal, state and local governments, development partners and implementing agencies to ensure effective implementation, stressing that delivery and accountability would determine the programmes’ success.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, described the interventions as a whole-of-government response to poverty, the cost-of-living crisis and human capital challenges.
“These programmes represent another milestone in translating the Renewed Hope Agenda into concrete interventions that directly touch the lives of poor and vulnerable Nigerians,” Bagudu said.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the 570 million-dollar HOPE-PHC programme would improve primary healthcare services for about 40 million Nigerians, especially women, children and adolescents.
He said the programme would reduce maternal and under-five mortality, strengthen primary healthcare facilities and improve service delivery through performance-based financing.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the 562 million-dollar HOPE-EDU programme would benefit nearly 30 million pupils, support 500,000 teachers and strengthen 65,000 public schools across the country.
World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis, said the programmes demonstrated that Nigeria’s greatest asset remained its people, adding that the institution would continue supporting reforms that improve education, healthcare and social protection.
Also speaking, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, said the interventions would help vulnerable and displaced Nigerians transition from emergency relief to resilience and productive livelihoods.
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the National Assembly also pledged full support for implementation of the programmes.
The event was witnessed by governors, ministers, development partners, top government officials and stakeholders from the relevant sectors. (NAN)
