The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that meaningful progress in the fight against poverty must start from the grassroots level.
He made this known on Thursday during the official inauguration of the House Committee on Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA) and NG-CARES at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Abbas, who was represented at the event by the Minority Whip, Isiaka Ibrahim, noted that poverty in Nigeria is not just about lack of money. He said it also includes lack of access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
According to him, community-level programmes are key to solving these problems in a way that benefits all Nigerians.
“With inflation eroding household incomes and widening social gaps, there is a pressing need for structured, grassroots-driven mechanisms to deliver measurable poverty reduction and enhance economic self-reliance,” Abbas said.
He also noted that decentralised development efforts are crucial in a country as diverse as Nigeria. “In a country as demographically diverse and economically stratified as Nigeria, the decentralisation of development initiatives ensures that no region remains a peripheral participant in the nation’s progress,” he said.
Abbas pointed out that community-based projects are more than just service providers. He said they help people feel more connected to their communities and give them a sense of ownership in development efforts. This, he explained, strengthens the social fabric and reduces reliance on temporary aid.
He added that institutions such as CSDA and NG-CARES have played an important role in helping communities, especially since the economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NG-CARES, supported by the World Bank, has already reached over two million Nigerians with livelihood grants, social transfers, and basic services,” he noted.
According to Abbas, CSDA projects have already impacted over 23 million Nigerians across 29 states, proving that localised efforts can lead to real change. He said the new committee would focus on creating policies that tackle poverty and development challenges in rural and underserved communities.
Chairman of the committee, Abubakar Kusada, said the team has designed a roadmap to guide their work.
He noted, “We’ve worked out a well-recapitulated work plan that captures a guide for us to deliver on the mandate, focusing on strategic oversight, legislative support, and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that CSDA fulfils its developmental objectives.”
