Bagudu seeks World Bank support for ward development programme

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, has urged the World Bank to support the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme aimed at boosting grassroots economic activities and achieving President Bola Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target by 2030.

Bagudu made the call in Abuja during a meeting with the bank’s new Country Director, Matthew Verghis.

He said the programme, recently approved by the National Economic Council, is designed to promote sustainable and inclusive growth at the ward level, mapping opportunities across all 8,809 wards and supporting economically active citizens to generate more value.

“This programme will create sustainable growth from the grassroots and help lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty,” Bagudu said, adding that Nigeria is adopting lessons from China, India, and Kenya while creating a model suited to its federal system.

The minister also highlighted Nigeria Agenda 2050 as the country’s long-term blueprint, stressing the need for people-centred five-year plans and annual budgets to deliver economic, social, and environmental goals.

He commended the World Bank for its support during Nigeria’s economic reforms, which he said were beginning to restore macroeconomic stability.

In response, Verghis praised Nigeria’s recent economic decisions as a “development breakpoint” capable of resetting the country’s growth trajectory.

He pledged the bank’s continued support, citing the potential to build on existing initiatives such as NG-CARES and the Nigeria for Women Project to expand opportunities, create jobs, and drive inclusion.

The meeting marked Verghis’s first official engagement with the ministry and reaffirmed the partnership between Nigeria and the World Bank in advancing inclusive growth and sustainable development.

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