Some stakeholders have urged President Bola Tinubu to implement the Nigeria Agenda 2050 developed to address economic and social challenges in the country.
Hussaini Abdu, country director, CARE International, said that former President Muhammadu Buhari formulated the Nigeria Agenda 2050 (NA 2050), which is a long-term economic transformation blueprint for Nigeria.
Mr Abdu and other stakeholders spoke during a Leadership and Development Dialogue (LDD), tagged ‘Nigeria Agenda 2050 and the Incoming Administration,’ organised by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that the NA 2050 targets Nigeria becoming an upper middle-income country with an average real GDP growth rate of 7 percent, nominal GDP of $11.7 trillion by 2050, and an end period per capita income of $33, 328 per annum.
“The purpose of this perspective plan is to fully engage all resources to achieve inclusive growth, reduce poverty, achieve social and economic stability.”
Create a sustainable environment that is consistent with global concerns about climate change and generate opportunities for all Nigerians to fully develop their potential,” the country director said.
He believes the country can achieve these laudable objectives by effectively engaging its youthful and vibrant workforce.
“The Nigeria Agenda 2050, therefore, highlights the roadmap for accelerated, sustained and broad-based growth and development, provides frameworks and approaches for reducing unemployment, poverty, inequality, and human deprivation.”
Mr Abdu said that Nigeria has continued to struggle economically because of policy summersault and lack of continuity, as such the Tinubu administration should adopt and implement the NA 2050.
The executive director, Centre LSD, Monday Osasah, said the NA 2050 highlighted challenges bedeviling Nigeria’s development with clear plans for resolving them in order to put the country on the path of sustainable development.
Mr Osasah, represented by the director of leadership, Centre LSD, Umesi Emenike, identified the challenges to include: low, fragile, and non-inclusive economic growth, high population growth rate, pervasive insecurity, limited diversification and transformation of the economy.
Others, according to him, include unconducive business environment and limited external competitiveness, deindustrialization, huge infrastructural deficits, climate change, limited fiscal space and high incidences of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
The stakeholders, therefore, recommended that the new administration should create the structures, institutions and people to drive the agenda.They added that the pursuit of diversification is imperative to achieving the Nigeria Agenda 2050.
“The new administration should prioritise the welfare and empowerment of citizens.
“The federal government should engage the Nigeria Governors Forum to promote ownership and coordination in the implementation of Nigeria Agenda 2050.
“The new administration should build national awareness around the agenda 2050 with continuous assessment and review.
“The new administration should build elite consensus around the agenda and engage in strategic communication to ensure that the plan is readily available and understood by citizens,” the stakeholders added.
