President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a Community-Based National Social Action Fund Task Force aimed at driving grassroots development and accelerating socio-economic progress across Nigeria’s 8,804 wards.
The initiative, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday night by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, is designed to deploy community-driven interventions tailored to local needs nationwide.
Under the framework, each ward will engage a verified community-based organisation or association to identify and implement priority projects, marking a shift towards decentralised, locally led service delivery.
The approval builds on earlier reforms, including the creation of the Social Action Fund (SAF) in September 2023 and the introduction of a Community-Based Procurement Platform in January 2026, which simplifies access for community groups to execute projects valued at up to N50 million.
Bako said the President had also approved a project timeline beginning March 1, with completion expected by December, while a Programme Management Unit domiciled in the ministry’s Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office will oversee implementation.
To support the initiative, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation have been directed to release N17 billion into a ring-fenced special intervention account dedicated to funding execution, monitoring, communication, and accountability mechanisms.
The task force will be chaired by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, and will include key members of the federal cabinet and senior government officials, among them the Minister of Finance, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministers of State in both ministries, and the Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry. Other members include the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, the Director-General of 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, Pate described the initiative as a transformative move towards empowering communities to take charge of their development priorities.
“This approach places communities at the centre of development. 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,” he said.
He noted that planned interventions could include community nutrition programmes, provision of essential health commodities such as micronutrients and therapeutic foods, as well as minor infrastructure upgrades in schools, healthcare facilities, and sanitation systems.
In a related move, President Tinubu 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 Federal Government said the upgrade aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda and is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for disease surveillance, emergency preparedness, and rapid response. The new institute is expected to serve as a multidisciplinary hub for public health training, research, and workforce development, enhancing the country’s readiness to manage infectious disease threats.