Jennifer Yusuf Abuja
Barely few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2020 appropriations bill to the National Assembly for passage, he followed suit by administering oaths of office on members of the newly constituted Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).
In doing so, he indirectly set agenda for them, insisting that they must find ways to pull 100million Nigerians out of the poverty bracket within a ten year timeframe.
Although Buhari is settling down for the last lap of his administration, having been re-elected President recently, he also tasked the new economic team led by Prof. Doyin Salami, a former member of the monetary policy committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria to develop reliable data that would aid development programmes.
All these the President noted should be accomplished within the shortest possible time.
“Find a way to coordinate and synthesize ideas and efforts on how to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, working in collaboration with various employment generating agencies of government,” he told the PEAC.
Other members that constitute the 8-man Council includes Muhammed Sagagi, Ode Ojowu, Shehu Yahaya,Iyabo Masha, Chukwuma Soludo, Bismark Rewane and Mohammed Adaya Salisu.
While lamenting the dearth of reliable data, Buhari said it was disheartening to know that foreigners stay in their comfort zones and gather data which does not properly reflect what is happening in Nigeria.
“What I see as your most important national assignment is that as you develop your baseline study, I would like you to focus on primary data collection.
‘‘Today, most of the statistics quoted about Nigeria are developed abroad by the World Bank, IMF and other foreign bodies.
‘‘Some of the statistics we get relating to Nigeria are wild estimates and bear little relation to the facts on the ground.
‘‘This is disturbing as it implies we are not fully aware of what is happening in our own country.
‘‘We can only plan realistically when we have reliable data. As you are aware, as a government, we prioritised agriculture as a critical sector to create jobs and bring prosperity to our rural communities.
‘‘Our programs covered the entire agricultural value chain from seed to fertiliser to grains and ultimately, our dishes.
‘‘As you travel in some rural communities, you can clearly see the impact. However, the absence of reliable data is hindering our ability to upgrade these programmes and assure their sustainability,” he stated.
The Council, constituted on September 16, 2019, to replace the Economic Management Team (EMT) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was also mandated to develop a baseline study that will help shape ideas for a sustainable and prosperous future, especially as it affects internally displaced persons in the North East.
On the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs), the President told members that his administration was working to measure the impact of the programme targeted at improving the well-being of millions of poor and vulnerable citizens.
As such, the President said he had directed the new Minister for Humanitarian Affairs to commence a comprehensive data-gathering exercise in all Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North East.
‘‘Today, we hear international organisations claiming to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on IDPs in the North East. But when you visit the camps, you rarely see the impact.
‘‘In 2017, when the National Emergency Management Agency took over the feeding of some IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the amount we spent was significantly lower than the claims made by these international organisations.
‘‘Therefore, actionable data is critical to implement effective strategies to address pressing problems such as these humanitarian issues.
‘‘I, therefore, look forward to receiving your baseline study as this will help us shape ideas for a sustainable and prosperous future,’’ the President said.
While making further remarks, he said,”I am told you worked throughout last weekend in preparation for this meeting.
”I have listened attentively to findings and ideas on how to move the country and the economy forward.
”Yes, Nigeria has exited the recession. But our reported growth rate is still not fast enough to create the jobs we need to meet our national ambition of collective prosperity.
”Reason being we had to tread carefully in view of the mess we inherited.
”Many of the ideas we developed in the last four years were targeted at returning Nigeria back to the path of growth.
”I am sure you will also appreciate that during that time, our country was also facing serious challenges especially in the areas of insecurity and massive corruption.
”Therefore, I will be the first to admit that our plans were conservative. We had to avoid reckless and not well thought out policies.
”However, it was very clear to me after we exited the recession that we needed to re-energise our economic growth plans. This is what I expect from you”.
President Buhari also assured the Council that the Federal Government will ensure that all their needs and requests were met before the next technical sessions in November.
He said all key ministries, departments and agencies will be available to meet and discuss with them on how to collectively build a new Nigeria that caters for all.
”Now, no one person or a group of persons has a monopoly of knowledge or wisdom or patriotism.
”In the circumstances, you may feel free to co-opt, consult and defer to any knowledgeable person if in your opinion such a move enriches your deliberations and add to the quality of your decisions, ” he said.
Chairman of Council, Professor Salami, said the mandate was about “Nigeria first, Nigeria second, and Nigeria always,” adding that it was about Nigerians, not as numbers, but as people.
He added: “Our goal is that the economy grows in a manner that is rapid, inclusive, sustained and sustainable, so that Nigerians will feel the impact.”
Recall that President Buhari had on June 12, 2019 while commemorating democracy day festivities at the Eagle Square, Abuja, pledged that his administration in it’s second term will pull 100million Nigerians out of poverty, a development that prompted diverse reactions from cross section of Nigerians.
A Brookings Institution report recently placed Nigeria as the hub of poverty in the world having displaced India with a population of 1.324billion people as against Nigeria’s 200 million.
The report had also alleged that the number of Nigerians in extreme poverty increases by six people every minute.
