From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Government has revealed that the funding requirement for the National Development Plan (NDP) for 2021 through 2025 is N350 trillion and this has been captured in the 2022 Budget.
Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Mr Ikanade Agba made the revelation at a pre-event press briefing to kickstart the 27th National Economic Summit (#27NES) billed to commence in Abuja on October 25, 2022.
According to Agba, out of the amount, N300 trillion will come from the private sector while N50 trillion will come from the government.
‘The N50 trillion is with regard to funding requirements for the National Development Plan capital project for 2021 to 2025. With the projects that have been projected and cost, there will be a requirement of about N350 trillion and out of this, N300 trillion is expected to flow in from the organised private sector in terms of investment and all of that. And that the government will be contributing about N50 trillion. The government here is federal and state. The portion of the government is about N30 trillion. For the state (sub-nationals) it is about N20 trillion,’ he said.
The minister also explained that with the downward movement of inflation, the nation is on a positive trajectory.
‘What I said was that for 17 months, inflation was rising and in the last five months it is still on a downward trend. For 17 years, it rose to 18.7 per cent. Currently, it is at 17.1 per cent. It is declining. And in the last one month, inflation also reduced for the first time. It shows that we are moving in the positive trajectory,’ he said.
He noted that the measures put in place by the government were enough to put Nigeria on a positive economic trajectory.
‘Measures put in place by the government of Nigeria have ensured that both health and economic data have continued to be on a positive trajectory. Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.01 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2021. The Q2 2021 growth rate was higher than the -6.10 per cent decline recorded in Q2 2020 and the 0.51 per cent growth recorded in Q1 2021 year-on-year, indicating the return of business and economic activity levels seen prior to the nationwide implementation of COVID-19 related restrictions.
‘To sustain this growth trajectory, the Special-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), an Initiative by African Development Bank Group, public and private sector will be established in all 36 states of Nigeria including FCT. It is a 10- year development programme to be financed under the African Development Bank (AFDB) which will guarantee a steady annual growth rate of about 5 per cent over the next 10 years from the year 2023.
‘The private sector has the capacity if pursued with the desired commitment by the Public and Private Sector to provide 25 million permanent employments and 25 million housing. The plan amongst others is to add at least US$150 billion to the country’s foreign reserves cumulatively from non-oil exports over the next 10 years; create at least 500,000 additional export linked jobs annually due, principally to increase in productive export activities; lift at least 10 million Nigerians out of poverty and empower each state and its people by integrating them into the export value chain. These efforts/initiatives, therefore, would unlock the potentials of each state in the development and promotion of at least one crop for export” he noted.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #27), Mr Asue Ighodalo, regretted that the 27th Economic Summit slated for October 25, 2021, is coming when the nation is facing huge economic woes which include, currency devaluation, foreign exchange shortages, trade imbalances, budget deficits, mounting debts, high inflation especially food inflation and food insecurity.
Other Economic weaknesses, he noted, include low manufacturing capacity, port inaccessibility, delays and high costs of moving goods and machinery through the ports.