The federal government finally launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020 in Abuja last Wednesday, raising expectations of economic recovery, if fully implemented. Omololu Ogunmade writes
The Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa was filled with excitement and grinning expressions on Wednesday when President Muhammadu Buhari formally launched a four-year economic plan. Tagged Economic Recovery and Growth Plan 2017-2020, the plan was meant to put to rest the protracted criticism of the president for failing to come up with a national economic blueprint for almost two years after his inauguration.
The document, which spells out government’s roadmap for security improvement, war against corruption, and economic revitalisation, is also a compendium of government’s sectoral plans for agriculture and food security; energy and transport infrastructure; and industrialisation and social investments. It also consists of plans to drive economic growth and achieve a seven per cent growth rate in 2020.
The ERGP was launched by Buhari ahead of the take-off of the day’s weekly Federal Executive Council meeting with the chamber accommodating unusual guests, such as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.
At the formal launch of the plan, Buhari was joined by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Saraki, Dogara, Yari, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, and the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who all brandished copies of the plan with grinning expressions on their faces.
