President Muhammadu Buhari has said that with expected population explosion in Nigeria, it would be dangerous to rely on handouts from foreign development partners to solve some of the challenges confronting the nation.
President Buhari, who spoke today, August 19, at the opening of a two-day retreat for ministers designate and other top government officials at the presidential villa, Abuja, asked the incoming ministers to get ready towards delivering policies and programs of his government meant to lift many Nigerians out of poverty.
“We are all aware of the looming demographic potential of our country. By average estimates, our population is close to 200 million today. By 2050, UN estimates put Nigeria third globally behind only India and China with our projected population at 411 million.
“This is a frightening prospect but only if we sit idly by and expect handouts from so-called development partners. The solution to our problems lies within us.
“As Ministers, I am counting on you together with Advisers and Nigerians willing and able to contribute to build upon our road map of policies, programmes and projects that will lift the bulk of our people out of poverty and set them on the road to prosperity.”
The President said that his government cumulatively in eight years, would have laid the grounds for lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, adding that such outcome will fundamentally shift Nigeria’s trajectory and place it among the World’s Great Nations.
Buhari who reminded the ministers designate that they will be responsible for the development and implementation of policies, programmes and projects in their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), said that they must ensure that such agencies remain effective, efficient and accountable in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“It is a great privilege for you to be called upon to serve in these Great Offices of State and you must grasp the chance with two hands and put in your best efforts as Nigeria today needs top managers to handle our numerous challenges. There will be long hours and you must be prepared to live laborious days if we are to serve our people optimally.
“I congratulate all the new comers who your country has chosen above others to join the first term Ministers whose performance has been outstanding. All of you are appointed to assist and advise the President in running the affairs of our country.
“At the end of the Retreat, it is hoped that all of you will be in tune with the roles and responsibilities of positions you will occupy in Government. Many national issues require unified decisions,” President said.
Buhari enjoined the ministers designate to encourage team work, saying that his government succeeded in the last four years in rolling back the frontiers of terrorism; and actively addressing other challenges such as kidnappings, farmer-herder violence, improving the safety of our roads, railways, air traffic and fire control capacities.
“We are steadily turning the economy round through investment in agriculture and manufacturing, shoring up our foreign reserves, curbing inflation and improving the country’s infrastructure.
“On corruption, we have recovered hundreds of billions of stolen assets and are actively pursuing control measures to tackle leakages in public resources. We will not let up in fighting corruption,” Buhari said.
In his welcome remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha said the objective of this retreat is to prepare the new Cabinet in Buhari’s second tenure, the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their roles and responsibilities as Cabinet Ministers, an understanding that will help to shape and streamline efforts towards achieving the delivery of dividends of democracy to the people of Nigeria.
He said the outcome of the retreat will set a strategic agenda which would define our course of action for the next four years of the Administration, set achievable targets and identify basic strategic options that will assist the new Cabinet realise the goals for which the Administration was elected to achieve.
According to him, the retreat was conceptualized in three thematic phases comprising, a Context Setting segment, led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and supported by Mckinsey & Co. and KPMG as consultants.
“The second segment is principally designed to be more interactive, setting the values of team work as your appointments demand, which will be demonstrated by your involvement in syndicated breakout sessions focused on topics across defined Government priority areas,” Boss noted.
The retreat is expected to end on Tuesday while the ministers will be sworn-in by President Buhari on Wednesday.
