Successor Plan: FG to Pull 100m Nigerians out of Poverty

The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari is reported yesterday Wednesday to have formally inaugurated a National Steering Committee to oversee Nigeria’s Agenda 2050.

The committee is to ensure that the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) succeeds the Vision 20:2020 and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) 2017 – 2020.

 President Buhari said it is a replacement to the Nigeria Vision 20:2020 and the ERGP, which will lapse in December as effort to ensure continuity and efficiency in the country’s development planning.

 The team to be jointly chaired by Mr Atedo Peterside and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed has as part of her task  to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.

This according to the President is even more apt given the World Bank’s projection that Nigeria will become the world’s third most populous country by 2050 with over 400 million people.

And doubling down on the mandate of the group, President Buhari said it would oversee governance structure comprising the Central Working Group and 26 Technical Working Groups for the important national assignment.

“It is my expectation that the Steering Committee will oversee the execution of key deliverables, including recommending measures to ensure the continuous implementation of the Plans even after the expiration of the tenure of successive Administrations – including legislation, if required.

On the mandate of the members, President Buhari said it would oversee governance structure comprising the Central Working Group and 26 Technical Working Groups for the important national assignment.

 “Such legislation may introduce much-needed rigor and discipline to the nation’s development planning as well as institutionalize planned outcomes for the future. I trust that our partners in the National Assembly will support us in exploring these reforms,” he said.

He emphasized that the Successor Plans should be designed in a manner that would sustain national development, support regional and global strategic interests, as outlined in the African Union Agenda 2063, the ECOWAS Integration Agenda 2050 and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.