Plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty will begin in October, according to the Minister

The Federal Government’s new Medium-Term National Development Plan, MTNDP, 2021-2025, is expected to be launched in October, according to Clem Agba, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning. It will include an i-monitoring system that will be integrated into government websites.

Mr Agba stated this on Monday at the start of a capacity-building workshop for Special Advisers and Technical Assistants to Ministers organized by the Konard Adeneaur Stiftung, KAS, a German foundation.

The workshop, which was co-hosted by KAS and the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, was aimed at promoting good governance.
Mr Agba stated that the Plan’s goal was to alleviate poverty by lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years, while also addressing the country’s growing population.

He also mentioned that the MTNDP will be launched in October, along with an i-monitoring system that will be integrated into government websites.

He went on to say that this would allow Nigerians to post pictures of project progress in relation to the money released.

Mr. Agba emphasized that this would aid accountability and citizen participation in governance.

Nigerians, he said, would be able to learn about projects aimed at their communities and, if necessary, challenge their non-implementation.

“As you are probably aware, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020) and Nigeria Vision 20: 2020 (NV20:2020) are set to expire in December 2020, necessitating the development of successor plans.

“Specifically, the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2021-2025 and the Nigeria Agenda 2050, which will replace the previous plans.

“There is a widespread belief that previous plans were created by the federal government. To dispel this notion, the ongoing planning process has been inclusive and participatory, involving both state and non-state actors.

“However, the organized private sector, civil society organizations, women’s and youth’s organizations, as well as people with special needs.

The plans are based on the government’s desire to alleviate poverty by lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next ten years,” he said.

Mr Agba went on to say that the exercise would also help Nigerians devise strategies to deal with the country’s rising population.

“By 2050, the country will have a population of 411 million people, making it the world’s third most populous country after China and India. “These plans will ensure economic stability, national development, and good governance.” Mr. Agba explained.

Mr Agba also praised KAS for its numerous contributions to Nigeria’s policymaking and implementation processes, noting that the training for ministerial aides is appropriate.

He also urged workshop participants to apply what they had learned in the workshop to the implementation of the National Plans for the country’s benefit.

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Vladmir Kreck, KAS’s Resident Representative in Nigeria, stated that KAS was committed to assisting Nigeria’s Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Legislatures, and Civil Societies in achieving long-term democracy and governance in accordance with their mandates.
Mr Kreck, who was represented by KAS Program Manager Mr Samson Adeniran, said KAS was training Aides to Ministers because of their important role in administration and governance.

“With these workshops and capacity building, KAS hopes that all of our contributions will flow into the nation’s long-term development plan’s eventual implementation.

“As a foundation that promotes good governance around the world, we hope that our efforts will result in respect for the rule of law, transparency, accountability, efficiency, and equity,” says the foundation.

Mr Kreck stated, “All of these are what can cause a nation to develop quickly.”