Agenda 2050: Minister Seeks Bottom-Up Approach for Implementation
The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, has stated that the Technical Working Groups (TWGs) Anchors and Heads of Secretariat are critical to the development of the Medium and Long-Term National Development Plans, especially in liaising with other stakeholders such as coordinators and deputy coordinators drawn from state and non state actors.
The Minister stated this in Abuja, while declaring open a 3-day Capacity Building workshop organized for TWGs Anchors and Heads of Secretariat constituted for the development of the Medium Term National Development Plans (2021 – 2025 & 2026 – 2030) and Long-Term National Development Plans (Agenda 2050).
He noted that the history of development planning in Nigeria showed a general lack of coordination and harmonization of programmes/policies, which he stated had also not benefited from a bottom-up approach, which negatively affected implementation.
“As a responsible government desirous of changing the fortune of Nigerians and the future of generations yet unborn, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari desires that we periodically draw comprehensive plans through which the welfare of citizens can be enhanced economically, socially and politically among others,” he added.
Agba said that the new plans being articulated were expected to address development challenges in all aspects of the country’s national life within the agreed timeframe.
According to him, “the planning process is also inclusive and participatory with the full involvement of the Sub-National governments (States and Local Governments), the Organized Private Sector, the major political parties, the National Assembly, youth and women organizations, the physically challenged, and other relevant stakeholders.”
“This way, we would have a truly Nigerian National Development Plan and not a federal government plan,” he explained.
Agba further expressed satisfaction with the various topics selected for the workshop, which included the history and trajectory of development planning in Nigeria; development planning process, Institutional Arrangements for Effective Plan Implementation, Understanding the Macroeconomic Framework for the MTNDP 2021-2025, MTNDP 2026-2030 and National Agenda 2050, Institutional Arrangements for Effective Plan Implementation.
The Minister commended Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) of Germany, co-organizers, its Nigerian Country Representative, Dr. Vladimir Kreck for their continuous support to the Ministry and especially in organizing and funding the programme.
He recalled that just recently, KAS partnered the Ministry in organizing a similar capacity building programme for Special Advisers of the Ministers, stressing that the training was timely and impact-full as attested to by the participants.
Earlier, KAS Country Representative said the organization decided to support Nigeria in organizing the workshop given “the manifold social and economic problems COVID-19 had entailed.”
