By Hosea Parah, Abuja

The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration among the federal, state and local governments, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to accelerate grassroots development, improve community security and ensure effective implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Rt. Hon. Zaphaniah Bitrus Jisalo, made the call on Tuesday at the ministry’s 2026 Third Quarter Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement Forum in Abuja.

The forum, themed “Strengthening Grassroots Development Through Effective Intergovernmental Collaboration and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” focused on translating resolutions of the maiden annual national conference of the 774 Local Government Council Chairmen and Chairmen of Traditional Rulers’ Councils into practical actions

Jisalo said the recommendations of the conference, particularly electronic tracking of development projects, stronger collaboration between local government councils and traditional institutions, and agricultural development through public-private partnerships, required concrete implementation strategies.

He stressed that the success of the engagement would depend on the ability of stakeholders to translate resolutions into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens.

“Our collective responsibility is to strengthen coordination among the Federal, State and Local Governments, promote citizens’ participation and ensure transparency and accountability in the delivery of development projects,” the minister said.

He identified the ministry’s GIS-PMIS electronic project-tracking mechanism as a potential tool for improving project monitoring, accountability and transparency, provided relevant institutions supplied accurate and timely information.

The minister also urged traditional institutions, civil society organisations, the private sector and citizens to play active roles in promoting community security, creating employment opportunities and advancing sustainable grassroots development.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to facilitating effective intergovernmental relations and supporting the implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

At the event, the Director-General of the Institute for Development Synergy, Abuja, Dr. Ejimonu Nwokodike Charles, presented a paper on “Translating the Resolutions of the Maiden Annual Conference of the 774 Local Government Council Chairmen and Chairmen of Traditional Rulers’ Councils into Action for Grassroots Development under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Charles emphasised that the success of the conference should be measured by tangible results rather than the number of resolutions adopted.

He proposed the establishment of a National Implementation and Monitoring Committee to coordinate the execution of the resolutions, alongside the development of action plans by local government councils.

The proposed framework also includes participatory community needs assessments, periodic progress reports and clearly defined responsibilities for the various tiers of government and other stakeholders.

On security, the paper recommended the establishment of Local Government Security Coordination Committees and institutionalised monthly security meetings involving council chairmen, traditional rulers and security agencies.

It also called for stronger lawful intelligence-sharing arrangements, early-warning systems and community participation in conflict prevention.

On local government finances, Charles advocated transparent budgeting, stronger procurement and auditing processes, increased funding for grassroots projects and citizen oversight to reduce corruption and improve service delivery.

He further recommended the establishment of a National Local Government Project Monitoring Dashboard to track project locations, budgets, timelines and implementation status across the 774 local government areas.

According to him, digital monitoring should incorporate project verification, citizens’ feedback and periodic performance reports, with indicators such as completion rates, budget compliance, functionality and beneficiary satisfaction.

Agriculture and food security also featured prominently in the proposed implementation framework.

The paper recommended adopting the Renewed Hope Integrated Farm Model across the 774 local government areas through public-private partnerships, while urging the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to mobilise at least 1.5 million hectares of farmland for cultivation.

It identified mechanisation, irrigation, agro-processing and support for youth, women and agricultural cooperatives as essential components of the initiative.

The presentation also proposed establishing Renewed Hope Herbal Medicines Development Centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to promote indigenous research, product safety, innovation, employment and economic diversification.

To accelerate implementation, Charles outlined a proposed 90-day roadmap for stakeholders’ consideration.

Under the proposal, the first 30 days would focus on establishing implementation committees, assigning responsibilities and identifying priority projects.

The following 30 days would involve developing local government action plans, mobilising resources and establishing monitoring systems, while the final 30 days would be devoted to assessing progress, publishing initial performance reports and addressing implementation challenges.

The roadmap also proposed a follow-up conference before the end of 2026 to review progress and consolidate implementation efforts.

The resolutions adopted at the maiden national conference called for institutionalising the gathering as an annual programme, cascading the eight-point Renewed Hope Agenda to wards and communities, strengthening community security and enforcing local government financial autonomy.

Other resolutions included increasing allocations for grassroots projects, adopting electronic tracking of government projects, implementing the integrated farm model through public-private partnerships and establishing herbal medicine development centres in the six geopolitical zones.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Onwusoro Maduka IhemeIandu, welcomed participants and said the engagement provided an opportunity to identify practical measures for implementing the conference resolutions.

He urged stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to discussions aimed at strengthening accountability, improving service delivery and ensuring that government programmes delivered tangible benefits to citizens.

In a vote of thanks, the Director of the Projects and Programmes Department, Mohammed Bala Saulawa, commended the minister, the permanent secretary and participating stakeholders for their contributions to the successful organisation of the forum.

He urged participants to remain committed to implementing the resolutions, stressing that the forum’s success would ultimately be judged by the improvements their collective efforts delivered to communities.

The central message of the engagement was that grassroots development requires more than policy declarations: it demands coordinated action, transparent project monitoring, adequate funding and measurable results across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.