From Uche Usim and Nsisong Morgan
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma, yesterday assured Nigerians that the newly developed Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) would create over 15 million direct jobs by 2020 through agriculture, construction and other services.
Udoma made the disclosure in Abuja during the inauguration of 23rd Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) .
The Minister, who spoke on the theme, “Actualising the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, Opportunities, Productivity and Employment”, said it was designed to ensure total commitment towards a private sector-led investment approach as set out in the ERGP.
He equally noted that the summit provides a unique opportunity for participants to interact and share thoughts on key issues and challenges facing the Nigerian economy, adding that it has helped shape many of the reform policies that have underpinned evaluation of the nation’s economic growth strategy in the last 24 years.
Udoma maintained that work was ongoing to build on the current positive momentum to ensure that the nation’s growth trajectory was sustained in the post-recession period with positive impact on citizens.
He, however, stressed that the summit would focus on infrastructure, manufacturing, renewable energy, housing, agribusiness, creative industries as well as retail trade and digitalisation.
“The 2017 budget is designed to expand partnership between public and private sector as well as development of capital to leverage and catalyse resources for growth. The Federal Government is stimulating the growth of small and medium scale industries for innovation, job creation, productivity and wealth creation,” he noted.