FG Releases N900bn for Ward Projects
The Federal Government has released a total sum of N900bn for the implementation of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, a flagship grassroots intervention scheme launched by President Bola Tinubu in August 2025.
According to the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee Ledger for November 2025, the allocation marks one of the largest single disbursements to a community-level initiative under the current administration.
However, the release has sparked renewed criticism, coming at a time when federal contractors are protesting over mounting unpaid debts of more than N760bn, owed by the same government for projects that have been completed.
Contractors handling federal road projects have staged protests at the Ministry of Finance, alleging prolonged non-payment for completed and ongoing works. The contractors under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria staged a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance over alleged unpaid funds for projects executed in 2024.
“We are owed about N4tn, but we are specifically demanding the release of N760bn, which the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, had earlier pledged to pay in September,” said a spokesperson for the contractors.
The protesting contractors placed a symbolic coffin at the entrance of the ministry, saying it represented the hardship and deaths some members had suffered due to the prolonged non-payment.
Despite the protests, the Federal Government has continued to prioritize hefty disbursements to the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme. Fresh details obtained from the Federation Account Allocation Committee reveal that the ward development scheme has so far received N900bn across three funding tranches, with N700bn already released and a balance of N200bn still sitting in its account as of last month’s FAAC meeting.
The Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme is a federal initiative aimed at tackling poverty and driving economic growth at the grassroots level, focusing on empowering at least 1,000 people in each of Nigeria’s 8,809 wards with support for jobs, entrepreneurship, and community development.