By Mohammed Baba Yahaya
The greatest strength of this initiative is its potential for relevance. Local communities know their most pressing needs better than a state official in the capital, Minna. One ward might need a borehole for clean water, another might need a renovated primary school block, while another might need a small health clinic or market stalls. This ensures the money is spent on what people actually need, not what the government “thinks” they need. This initiative will enhance sense of ownership and community participation, because when communities are involved in the decision-making process like choosing the project, possibly contributing labor or materials, they develop a strong sense of ownership. This dramatically increases the likelihood that the project will be maintained and protected after completion, ensuring its sustainability.
The 3 million naira will be spent locally, it will create short-term employment for local laborers, masons, carpenters, and suppliers. It will source materials like sand, gravel, and wood from local businesses, injecting money into the local economy. Successful projects like a repaired road can reduce transportation costs for farmers and traders, indirectly boosting economic activity. There by improving social amenities and quality of life, such that direct outcomes will include better access to water, education, healthcare, and electricity. This will lead to improved health outcomes, reduced hours spent fetching water especially for women and children, and a better learning environment for students. In many areas, conflicts arise over scarce resources. Providing a shared resource, like a water point or a community hall, decided upon through a participatory process, can foster unity and reduce tensions within and between communities.
This model ensures that development is not concentrated only in urban centers or politically favored areas. Every ward, no matter how remote, receives a direct allocation. This promotes more balanced development across the entire state, reducing regional inequalities. And equally reduce pressure on state Government by handling micro-projects at the ward level, so that the state government will free itself to focus on larger, state-wide infrastructure projects while the wards handle the “small but critical” projects that often get overlooked.
The initiative will also serve as a practical school for local governance. It will build the capacity of Ward Development Committees in project management, financial transparency, and community mobilization. This will strengthen the entire governance structure from the bottom up.