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The Delta State Government has unveiled fresh measures aimed at cushioning the effects of economic hardship and improving the purchasing power of residents through infrastructure development, workers’ welfare, empowerment programmes and strategic investments.

The State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this on Thursday in Asaba while addressing journalists at a press conference.

Aniagwu said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had directed the administration to intensify programmes capable of stimulating economic activity at the grassroots and ensuring that the benefits of ongoing economic reforms translated into tangible improvements in household incomes and living standards.

He said the state’s improved financial position had enabled the government to embark on major capital projects while deliberately deploying resources in ways that would stimulate local economic activities.

“The governor has directed that we intensify efforts at rolling out programmes that will indeed improve the purchasing power of our people,” Aniagwu said.

The commissioner, who was accompanied by the Executive Assistant to the Governor on New Media, Mr Felix Ofou, explained that the planned massive renovation of schools across the state was part of the government’s economic intervention strategy.

According to him, the projects would create business opportunities for contractors, artisans, suppliers and traders in communities where the projects are being executed.

He noted that materials such as cement and roofing sheets would largely be sourced locally, thereby ensuring that government spending circulated within local economies and generated a multiplier effect through increased earnings and household consumption.

Aniagwu also disclosed that the state government was working to institutionalise the proposed payment of a 13th-month salary through legislation.

He said the initiative was designed not merely as government expenditure, but as a deliberate mechanism for increasing the disposable income of civil servants and stimulating economic activity across the state.

“Once this fund gets to the hands of the civil servants, that civil servant is also enabled to spend money in certain directions. That way, government would have been able to take the benefit of the reforms from the macro level to the micro level,” he said.

The commissioner further revealed that Governor Oborevwori had directed government agencies responsible for empowerment to begin identifying beneficiaries for various intervention programmes.

The agencies, he said, include the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Ministry of Youth Development and Ministry of Science and Technology.

He said the programmes would provide business support, skills acquisition and other forms of empowerment aimed at making beneficiaries economically productive.

Aniagwu also linked the administration’s aggressive road construction programme to its broader economic stimulation strategy.

He said roads connecting communities and opening up economic corridors would reduce transportation challenges, facilitate the movement of goods and services and create a more favourable environment for businesses to thrive.

He disclosed that the state was also pursuing investment opportunities arising from its economic and investment summit, including efforts to attract investments in the production of poultry feed and other agricultural inputs.

According to him, local production of such inputs would reduce the volume of capital leaving Delta to procure them from other states, while creating employment and business opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and investors.

The commissioner stressed that the state’s improved revenue position and liquidity would not be deployed for indiscriminate spending, but would be channelled into projects and programmes capable of stimulating sustainable economic growth.

He said the administration’s interventions covered education, healthcare, roads, housing and empowerment, with the ultimate objective of making residents more financially resilient.

Aniagwu also cited the construction of additional residential quarters for medical personnel, particularly doctors, as part of efforts to strengthen public healthcare and tackle brain drain.

He said providing decent accommodation for critical health workers would help retain personnel in the state and ultimately improve healthcare delivery.

While acknowledging the economic difficulties triggered by the removal of fuel subsidy and other federal reforms, Aniagwu said the Delta Government was determined to mitigate their impact on residents.

He noted that although some of the reforms might have been necessary, their implementation had created unintended consequences and “grey areas” requiring intervention.

“We are convinced that efforts are also being made to address those grey areas, just as we are doing in Delta, so that the benefit of this removal can move beyond the macro level and come to the micro level,” he said.

Aniagwu urged Deltans not to allow present economic difficulties to determine their expectations of the future, saying the government’s programmes were designed to create a pathway towards greater economic stability.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the commissioner said the Oborevwori administration would remain focused on governance and projects capable of delivering tangible benefits to the people rather than politically motivated cash distribution.

He urged residents to support the government’s programmes, stressing that the ultimate goal was to ensure that as the state’s economy grows, Deltans would also experience corresponding improvements in their purchasing power and standard of living.