Farmers’ Group Seeks Partnership with FG to Accelerate Ward Development Programme

 Bagudu: Initiative will overhaul development framework by promoting stronger cooperation among tiers of government, others

James Emejo in Abuja

A group of farmers, under the aegis of Crop, Aquaculture, Livestock Farmers and Value Chain Economic Actors Association of Nigeria (CALFAN), has proposed partnership with the federal government to accelerate the implementation of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, a grassroots economic emancipation initiative of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Unveiled in 2025 by Tinubu, the programme aimed to reset development planning by boosting economic activities at the ward level through collaboration among the federal, state, and local governments.

The group met with Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, in Abuja yesterday to propose an effective collaboration towards achieving the objectives of the initiative.

Welcoming the delegation, led by its National President, Mr. Aliyu Adulraheem, Bagudu emphasised the importance of dialogue between government institutions and organised stakeholders in advancing the country’s development agenda.

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

The minister pointed out that the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme was 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 the country’s constitutional framework assigned development responsibilities to the three tiers of government, but in practice, these roles had not always been well coordinated, often resulting in duplication, inefficiency, and interruptions in development initiatives.

Bagudu said, “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.”

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

He said, “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.”

The minister explained that the programme aimed to enable communities to identify their own development opportunities rather than relying solely on a top-down approach.

He stressed that 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 a statement issued by the ministry’s Director, Information and Public Relations, Mrs. Julie Osagie-Jacobs, Bagudu referenced Tinubu’s vision of transforming the country into a $1 trillion economy.

He added that decentralised development initiatives, such as the 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.

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

She said, “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 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 his response, 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 designed to support real-time beneficiary identification, community mobilisation, data collection, and monitoring of development activities.

He stated 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.

The group also highlighted its inclusive approach that encompassed 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.