Fatimah Otunsanya
The House of Representatives is considering a bill seeking to promote sustainable rural development, reduce poverty and enhance the livelihoods of Nigerians in agrarian communities.
Titled “The National Integrated Rural Development Bill, 2025,” the proposed legislation applies to all rural areas within the country’s territorial boundaries as classified by relevant demographic and economic criteria.
Sponsored by the member representing Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben Federal Constituency, Edo State, Marcus Onobun, the bill is awaiting a second reading on the floor of the Green Chamber.
A copy of the proposed legislation exclusively obtained by the newsmen showed in Part III the provision to guarantee wage employment for rural households that would make every employed adult household entitled to a daily wage of N3,500.
The bill also proposed the establishment of the National Integrated Rural Development Agency, whose functions shall include, but not be limited to, “Overseeing the implementation of integrated rural development programmes; coordinating the relevant ministries, agencies and stakeholders; monitoring and evaluating rural development projects and promoting innovation and technology adoption in rural development initiatives.”
Under the wage employment for rural dwellers, the bill provides that, “The Agency shall ensure that every rural household, whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work through local development projects, is guaranteed a minimum of 100 days of wage employment per fiscal year.”
It further reads in Section 12(2), “Every employed adult household shall be entitled to a daily wage of N3,500 for each day of work.”
According to the bill, one-third of such employment opportunities are to be reserved for women in rural communities.
The key objectives include “To reduce rural poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas; enhance agricultural productivity and ensure food security; encourage community participation in development planning and decision-making, and facilitate access to education, healthcare and social services in rural communities.”
The bill also proposed a Governing Council for the Agency, whose Chairman shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
Another key provision of the bill is that revenue generated by the proposed National Integrated Rural Development Agency “Shall be exempted from income tax and all contributions to the fund of the Agency shall be tax-deductible.”
Speaking with the newsmen, Onobun highlighted the significance of the bill, saying, “It seeks to establish a legal and institutional framework to promote sustainable rural development across the nation by reducing poverty, improving rural infrastructure and enhancing livelihoods through integrated and coordinated efforts.”