CeFTPI flags ₦900bn Tinubu ward programme over transparency risks
The Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) on Tuesday raised red flags over President Bola Tinubu’s ₦900 billion Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP), warning that the absence of a clear implementation framework poses significant risks to public integrity.
Launched in August 2025, the programme aims to empower at least 1,000 people in each of Nigeria’s 8,809 wards with jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, targeting an average of ₦102.1 million per ward. The government fully funded the initiative, disbursing ₦300 billion on September 17, ₦400 billion later that month, and ₦200 billion in November 2025.
CeFTPI Executive Director Umar Yakubu cautioned that the programme is "currently shrouded in opacity" and vulnerable to misappropriation. Key concerns include the ‘ward paradox’—wards are not constitutional tiers of government, so it’s unclear whether funds go directly to contractors or through state administrations. Implementation agencies and specific projects haven’t been identified, while the audit burden across 8,809 locations creates high risk of "ghost projects" without a digital, geo-tagged monitoring system.
The Centre recommends public disclosure of Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) guidelines, launching an open data portal to track ward-level projects, and involving civil societies in monitoring. This ₦900 billion investment is part of Nigeria’s broader ambition to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
With funds already disbursed and implementation underway, should citizens demand real-time project tracking and civil society oversight to ensure these billions translate into tangible grassroots development rather than diverted funds?