Farmers’ Group Proposes Collaboration With FG On Ward Development Programme

Farmers’ Group Proposes Collaboration With FG On Ward Development Programme

President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s grassroots economic emancipation initiative, the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, has received support from a farmers’ group, the Crop, Aquaculture, Livestock Farmers and Value Chain Economic Actors Association of Nigeria.

During a meeting with the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, in Abuja on Wednesday, the group offered to collaborate with the federal government to accelerate the programme’s implementation.

Unveiled last year by the president, the programme aims to reset development planning by boosting economic activities at the ward level through collaboration among the federal, state, and local governments.

Welcoming the delegation, led by Mr Aliyu Adulraheem, the minister emphasised the importance of dialogue between government institutions and organised stakeholders in advancing Nigeria’s development agenda.

He noted that the ministry remains willing to collaborate with professional associations, civil society organisations, and private-sector actors to carry out its mandate more effectively.

According to the minister, the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme is a significant effort to overhaul Nigeria’s development framework by promoting stronger cooperation among the federal, state, and local governments, while also involving citizens and development partners in a “whole-of-society” approach to national progress.

He explained that Nigeria’s constitutional framework assigns development responsibilities to the three tiers of government, but in practice, these roles have not always been well coordinated, often resulting in duplication, inefficiencies, and interruptions in development initiatives.

“The Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme aims to address this by concentrating development planning at the ward level, which is the lowest administrative unit in Nigeria’s governance structure,” the minister said.

He stated that Nigeria has 8,809 wards, each with unique economic prospects that can be accessed through targeted interventions.

“Our belief is that every ward in Nigeria is an acre of diamonds waiting to be uncovered. Each community has its own strengths and potential, and development strategies must reflect these distinctive qualities,” he said.

The minister explained that the programme aims to enable communities to identify their own development opportunities rather than relying solely on a top-down approach. Under the initiative, wards will determine their priority economic opportunities, after which the federal government, state governments, local authorities, and development partners will work together to provide the necessary support.

He emphasised the importance of human capital as the main resource of any community, stressing that development planning must start with an understanding of the people and skills present within each locality.

In reference to President Bola Tinubu’s vision of transforming Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy, the minister stated that decentralised development initiatives, such as the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, would play a key role in unlocking economic opportunities across the country.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Deborah Odoh, praised CALFAN for its dedication to bolstering Nigeria’s agricultural sector and recognised the vital role of partnerships in fostering inclusive economic growth.

She noted that agriculture remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s economic transformation, playing a major role in food security, employment generation, rural development, and economic diversification.

“The Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme aims to unlock economic opportunities at the grassroots level by supporting community-driven initiatives that can boost productivity and prosperity within each ward across the federation,” she said.

She added that working with organised groups like CALFAN could help improve programme delivery and strengthen engagement with farmers, co-operatives, producers, and other stakeholders across the agricultural value chain.

In response, CALFAN’s National President, Abdulraheem, outlined the association’s proposal to serve as a field-level implementation partner for the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme.

He highlighted CALFAN’s extensive grassroots structure, including Ward-Level Extension Service Offices (WESOs) and a digital platform that supports real-time beneficiary identification, community mobilisation, data collection, and monitoring of development activities.

The presentation states that the proposed platform will facilitate economic mapping of rural communities, infrastructure assessments, digital surveys, and real-time data collection to support evidence-based policy decisions and programme monitoring. CALFAN highlighted its inclusive approach that encompasses the entire agricultural value chain, including farmers, input suppliers, processors, transporters, traders, and service providers.

The meeting offered an opportunity for dialogue on how CALFAN’s grassroots infrastructure and digital platforms could support the Federal Government’s efforts to promote inclusive economic growth and grassroots development.

It concluded with appreciation for CALFAN’s presentation and a commitment to ongoing engagement and collaboration to advance the goals of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme and Nigeria’s broader economic development agenda.