President Bola Tinubu has tasked local government councils across Nigeria to prioritise food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, job creation and support for local enterprises as part of efforts to make his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda felt at the grassroots. Tinubu gave the charge in a speech delivered by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the National Conference for Chairmen of the 774 Local Government Councils and Chairmen of Traditional Rulers’ Councils in Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday. The conference, which began on Tuesday, will run until Thursday, with the theme, “Cascading President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to the Grassroots.” The President said the success of government policies should be measured by their impact on communities rather than by announcements made in Abuja. “The true test of policy is not what is announced in Abuja, but what changes in our worlds, villages, towns and communities,” Tinubu said. He urged local government chairmen to ensure that Nigerians experienced improvements in primary healthcare, basic education, rural roads, access to safe water, food production, support for small businesses and opportunities for women and young people. “Local government autonomy is not an end in itself; rather, it is an instrument for service and development,” he said. Tinubu said the financial autonomy granted local governments by the Supreme Court had placed a greater responsibility on elected council officials to deliver effective and measurable governance. “The autonomy pronounced in the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria places a huge responsibility on all chairmen, elected councillors and their management teams to deliver impactful governance at the grassroots level,” he said. According to him, council chairmen have the advantage of knowing the specific needs of their communities, including areas where clinics lack medicines, farmers require support and young people need opportunities. “Your knowledge of where a clinic lacks medicine, where farmers need support, where young people need opportunities and where tension is beginning to rise will help to deliver these dividends,” the President said. Tinubu urged councils to adopt evidence-based decision-making, technology and reliable statistics in planning and implementing development projects. He said local governments must become “centres of planning, delivery, early warning and measurable results” rather than remain passive recipients of Federal Government initiatives. The President said the Renewed Hope Agenda must become visible in communities through food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, jobs and local enterprise. “The Renewed Hope Agenda must become visible at the grassroots, especially in food security, healthcare, education, infrastructure, jobs and local enterprise,” he said. He urged councils to actively participate in Federal Government initiatives as development partners and strengthen their capacity for coordination and innovation. “Local government authorities cannot afford to remain passive recipients of Federal Government initiatives without active participation as development partners,” Tinubu said. FG plans electronic tracking of council projects The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr Onwosoro Maduka Ihemelandu, said the ministry was developing stronger mechanisms to monitor development projects and interventions at the local government level. Ihemelandu said the ministry had identified gaps in the availability of project information, geographical identification of projects, implementation monitoring, verification, coordination and access to reliable information for management decisions. “The Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs intends to fill these gaps through collaboration with local governments,” he said. He said the ministry planned to strengthen its electronic tracking system to improve project visibility, monitoring and accountability across the 704 local government areas covered by its proposed framework. “The proposed E-Tracking methodology will be an extension of our current GIS-EMIS. We have software which we use to track projects and programmes across the federation. We want to improve it and add this E-Tracking component to enable us to monitor projects across the 704 local government areas collaboratively with local government chairmen and other stakeholders,” Ihemelandu said. According to him, the framework would capture project locations, distribution and sectors, implementing authorities and contractors, project values, implementation timelines, fiscal progress, field evidence, risks, challenges and required actions. He said the system would “improve the visibility of projects and interventions across the 704 local government areas,” strengthen evidence-based monitoring and verification, and provide timely information for management decisions. Ihemelandu also linked the conference to the Federal Government’s food security drive, saying a technical session would examine the application of modern technology to agriculture and food exports. “This is in line with the administration’s agenda of ensuring food security and self-sufficiency in food production,” he said. He said the programme was also connected to an action plan to cultivate 1.5 million hectares of land in communities nationwide. The Permanent Secretary added that participants would receive information on investment opportunities in rural communities, including a presentation on Canadian direct foreign investment. The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, said local governments and traditional rulers had critical roles to play in translating the Renewed Hope Agenda into tangible development at the grassroots. Jisalo said the conference was approved by President Tinubu and was designed to strengthen collaboration among the Federal, state and local governments, with traditional rulers serving as important partners. “The Council of Traditional Rulers is a significant platform for creating collaboration among the Federal, State and Local Governments,” he said. The minister said the local government, as the tier of government closest to the people, had a critical role in translating national policies and programmes into strategic goals. He said the gathering would provide an opportunity to develop practical strategies for improving service delivery, strengthening intergovernmental relations, enhancing accountability and ensuring that Federal Government interventions reached intended beneficiaries. “This gathering provides an opportunity to deliberate on practical strategies for improving service delivery under the Renewed Hope Agenda, strengthening intergovernmental relations, enhancing accountability and ensuring that Federal Government interventions effectively reach their intended beneficiaries,” Jisalo said. He described traditional rulers as critical stakeholders because of their influence and close connection with their communities.
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