The federal government on Wednesday launched the National Development Plan 2021-2025.
The plan was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari during a brief ceremony ahead of the week’s virtual Federal Executive Council meeting by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.
The minister said the NDP 2021-2025 is a successor plan to both the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and the Vision 20:2020.
She said the plan will focus investment on massive infrastructure, ensure economic stability, enhance the investment environment, improve on social indicators and living conditions of Nigerians, among other targets.
Mrs Ahmed said the plan is a pointer to the type of Nigeria that all Nigerians desire, adding that it will encourage the use of science, technology, and innovation to drive the growth being targeted.
“In order to have the future we all desire, the Plan is developed to play a sizable role in the product complexity space internationally and adopts measures to ease constraints that have hindered the economy from attaining its potentials, particularly on the product mapping space.
“The plan provides for the implementation of major infrastructure and other development projects across the six geopolitical zones and opening up of opportunities for the rural areas to ensure balanced development and increased competitiveness.
“The plan builds on the foundation developed in the Vision 20:2020 and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Lessons from these previous plans guided the development of the NDP 2021-2025
“The plan seeks to invest massively in infrastructure, ensure macroeconomic stability, enhance the investment environment, improve on social indicators and living conditions, tackle climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience strategies, among others”, she said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has lauded the Buhari regime for the initiative that has created the series of economic development plans so far under its watch, noting that no administration in Nigeria’s history has been as inclusive.
Chairman of the NGF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by the Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, noted that the new NDP 2021-2025 was a product of collaboration and consultation between the federal and state governments.
“Let me just clarify that I’m here to represent the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Governor of Ekiti State, who was unavoidably absent and we congratulate Mr. President for launching the 2021-2025 Development Plan as ably introduced by the Minister of National Planning.
“We had an economic recovery growth plan that expired in 2020, which has achieved the objective of, among others, helping Nigeria exit twice from the recession and now we have a plan in place for 2021-2025 that is further aimed principally at ensuring that the gains have been consolidated and Nigerians are being continuously included,” Bagudu said.
