Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, has said the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration are beginning to improve purchasing power and stimulate economic activities at the grassroots.
Key Highlights:
- Aniagwu says Tinubu’s reforms are improving purchasing power and economic activities.
- He links improved government finances to increased spending on infrastructure and public obligations.
- The commissioner says payment of salary arrears is helping to circulate money within local economies.
- He highlights school renovations, road projects and empowerment programmes as drivers of grassroots economic activity.
- Aniagwu says Delta State’s MORE Agenda is helping to transmit the benefits of federal reforms to residents.
- He urges stakeholders to communicate the reforms and their economic impact effectively to citizens.
Tinubu Reforms and Grassroots Economic Activities
Aniagwu spoke on Wednesday as a panelist at a one-day seminar titled, “Harnessing the Gains of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the MORE Agenda Ahead of 2027,” held at Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba.
He said a major development in the reform process was the improvement in government finances, which he said had given states greater capacity to invest in infrastructure, settle outstanding obligations, empower citizens and stimulate economic activities.
According to Aniagwu, the impact of the reforms should not be measured only through macroeconomic statistics, as increased government resources were gradually reaching workers, contractors, artisans, traders and small business owners.
“At the macro level, money has come in. Well, in the case of Delta, we have been able to shore up the purchasing power of the people as a way of giving them the benefits of this reform,” he said.
“The benefits that are coming are now trickling down. What has hit the macro level is now coming to the micro level.”
Salary Payments Boost Local Spending
The commissioner explained that when government paid salary arrears and other outstanding obligations to workers, the funds entered the local economy as beneficiaries spent their earnings on goods and services.
He said the same principle applied to government-funded infrastructure projects, with expenditure on roads, schools and other projects circulating among contractors, workers, suppliers and traders within communities.
“If a civil servant receives 10 months’ salary, it means that the ability of that civil servant to spend has been enhanced,” Aniagwu said.
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He noted that increased spending by workers could also benefit traders and small business owners, who could use additional income to restock their businesses, employ labour and meet household needs.
Aniagwu described this process as an important link between the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda.
School Projects, Empowerment Initiatives
The commissioner cited the ongoing renovation of schools across Delta State as an example of how government spending could stimulate economic activities at the grassroots.
According to him, the projects were not only intended to improve infrastructure but also to create opportunities for contractors, artisans, suppliers and workers in communities where the projects were being executed.
He said the state government was also implementing empowerment initiatives aimed at injecting funds directly into grassroots communities, particularly among small business operators and people engaged in agricultural activities.
Aniagwu said relatively modest interventions could produce wider economic effects when targeted at people operating within local communities.
He explained that beneficiaries could use the funds to expand their businesses, employ labour, cultivate farms and meet immediate household needs, helping to keep money circulating within the local economy.
Delta Infrastructure Programme
Aniagwu said the state government’s approach was also reflected in its infrastructure programme, which includes major roads, flyovers and other projects across Delta State.
He said the projects were opening up communities, facilitating the movement of goods and services and creating economic opportunities for residents.
The commissioner also said improved security and the state’s stronger financial position had contributed to creating a more conducive environment for economic development.
Teaching Recruitment Based on Needs Assessment
Aniagwu further explained that the government was taking a deliberate approach to recruitment into the teaching service.
He said a comprehensive needs assessment was being conducted to determine actual manpower requirements before new teachers were recruited.
According to him, the assessment would establish the teacher-student ratio, subject-teacher requirements and available facilities.
He said the objective was to ensure that government resources were deployed efficiently and produced the desired impact.
Aniagwu Calls for Better Communication of Reforms
Aniagwu urged stakeholders to communicate the economic reforms to citizens in a way that would help them understand the relationship between economic stabilisation, government revenue, public spending and household welfare.
He said the current phase of the reforms was important because the benefits of macroeconomic stability would ultimately need to translate into improved livelihoods, economic opportunities and purchasing power.
Aniagwu said the task ahead was to consolidate the gains and ensure that economic recovery continued to reach more Nigerians.
“The taste of the pudding is in the eating,” he said, stressing that the ultimate measure of the reforms would be the extent to which ordinary citizens experienced improved economic opportunities and greater capacity to meet their needs.
