FG’s national development plan will promote economic prosperity, says minister

Clem Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, says the federal government’s development strategies will promote economic prosperity.

Agba said this on Wednesday at the regional development summit in Abuja.

He said the recently inaugurated National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025 will provide a blueprint for Nigeria’s economic prosperity, adding that the soon-to-be-initiated Nigeria Agenda 2050 is a regional development strategy.

“I want to specifically tell you that regional development is the wide-ranging, multi-level activities designed to promote wellbeing and prosperity in different regions,” Agba said.

“It is based on an interaction between ministries, local councils, municipalities, and other operators.

“In regional development, the goals and measures of different countries and administrative branches are examined together from national and regional perspectives.

“This examination covers the measures and resources for regional development and the effects of policy-making (in different sectors) toward regional development.”

Agba said the main task of the authorities responsible for regional development was to create conditions for cooperation among various regions and states.

According to him, the meeting was to harness ideas that would challenge participants to take full ownership and proffer concrete recommendations to realign the targets to meet the national objectives as encapsulated in the NDP and other actions.

He said this would help establish a close partnership with key stakeholders and organisations at all levels, contribute to the sustainability of reintegration programmes, and socially inclusive development activities that meet the regional development sector.

“It is also to establish guidelines for the development of periodic meetings to be held by regional bodies and engage regional stakeholders for enhanced public dialogue, among others,” Agba added.

“We are responsible for mapping out implementation strategies for prioritised government projects and programmes as contained in the annual plan, budget, medium and long term plans at various government levels.”

On her part, Olusola Idowu, permanent secretary of the ministry, said the meeting was aimed at tracking the progress of organisations, and strengthening effective coordination in the course of advancing regional growth and development in the country.

Idowu, who was represented by Sanjo Faniran, director, department of social development of the ministry, said the gathering would enable stakeholders to develop implementable plans.

“The outcome of this meeting will assist the stakeholders appropriately to come out with a clear road map on how Nigeria can take full ownership of regional potential as contained in the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2021- 2025,” she said.