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By Sunday Ani
Convener of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Ideological Group (BAT-IG), Bamidele Atoyebi, has commended President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a N17 billion grassroots development fund for 8,804 wards, saying it reflects the adoption of the group’s earlier community driven development proposals.
Atoyebi said the presidential approval announced on April 22 aligns with an internal memo by the group on April 1, which urged state coordinators to identify underserved communities lacking basic amenities such as water supply, healthcare centres, rural roads and financial support for farmers and market women.
“The President has bought fully into this idea,” Atoyebi said, adding that the initiative mirrors the group’s push for bottom-up development, where communities identify their most urgent needs and government responds directly.
The N17 billion fund is designed to support ward level projects nationwide, allowing each community to partner with local organisations to implement priority interventions. The approach, Atoyebi noted, is similar to fixing a house room by room rather than attempting a single large scale renovation, ensuring that development reaches even the most remote areas.
He said the group had already begun mobilising support for such interventions through advocacy and engagement programmes, including a recent forum in Abuja, involving military and paramilitary personnel, where participants were encouraged to act as community project facilitators.
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According to him, the group has recorded early successes in communities such as Rigasa and Asa, where members facilitated small scale development efforts, reinforcing their model of grassroots participation.
He described Tinubu as a leader who listens and acts, stating that the approval demonstrates a commitment to ensuring that development flows from the grassroots upward rather than being concentrated at the centre.
However, he urged the Federal Government to strengthen monitoring mechanisms to ensure transparency and effectiveness in the use of the funds. He also called for an increase in the allocation, describing the N17 billion as insufficient given the scale of needs across thousands of wards.
“We encourage the President to monitor this groundbreaking initiative closely and consider increasing the funding to achieve the desired impact,” he said.
The group has continued to position itself as a facilitator of community development, encouraging its members nationwide to identify local challenges and connect communities with government intervention programmes.
