On the Occasion of the
Formal Launching of the Nationwide
Stakeholder Consultations on
the NEEDS
Abuja, March 15, 2004
Let
me join earlier speakers in welcoming you all to this very important event,
which marks the beginning of a six-week intensive final nation-wide
consultation on the draft National Economic Empowerment and Development
Strategy (NEEDS) document. A few months ago, I constituted a 35- member NEEDS
Drafting Committee, led by the Economic Adviser, and comprising representatives
of ministries and agencies within
government,
as well as representatives of the private sector, labour, and civil society.
The goal then was to produce a nationally owned strategy for poverty reduction,
wealth creation and employment generation. I am delighted to note that this
draft NEEDS document is the product of a participatory process involving all
sectors of society including relevant committees of the national assembly as
well as members of the Economic
Team.
It is even more noteworthy that it is now being presented to all Nigerians for
further refinement. I want to commend the members of the Drafting Committee and
all those who have made inputs to the document.
The
value of any strategy rests largely on the degree of legitimacy and ownership
built around it by the people. Such ownership and legitimacy can only emanate
from the direct participation of the people in conceptualizing, analyzing,
articulating, refining, and digesting the various dimensions of the strategy.
This nation-wide consultation that is being flagged-off today is designed to
ensure that all Nigerians are given the opportunity to participate in the
drafting of the plan that will affect their lives. Though the Drafting
Committee includes major stakeholders drawn from the public and private
sectors, it is still important to take the document to the grassroots. This is
the only way to ensure sustainability, monitoring, and control. After all, it
is their lives, communities, and environment that are being planned and it
would definitely have an impact on every Nigerian. Let me note that this will
be the first time in Nigeria that the generality of Nigerians will be involved
in planning their future. This is one of the hallmarks of democracy---
consultation and participation of the people in decision making --- which this
administration has been promoting since 1999.
Contrary
to the practice of the past planning programmes, which were largely elitist,
NEEDS must be a plan by Nigerians, derived from the country's experiences and
aspirations, and targeted at solving Nigeria's problems. I understand that some
of our international development partners had wanted to have the NEEDS document
before now but we have insisted that in order to preserve our ownership of the
process and content of NEEDS, it will be made available to all stakeholders at
the same time. Following this ceremony therefore, the NEEDS document will be
available to all Nigerians and our development partners--- to make
contributions. Zonal consultation workshops are planned in each of the six
geopolitical zones of the country as well as with major organizations/groups
--- labour, organized private sector, civil society, NGOs, academia, the Press,
etc. I invite all Nigerians, institutions, associations, and stakeholders to
carefully read through the document, participate at the consultation workshops,
and send their comments and suggestions to the Drafting Committee.
As
you are aware, NEEDS is Nigeria’s home-grown poverty reduction and
socio-economic development strategy. It is a medium term strategy (2003- 07)
which is an outgrowth from the country's long-term goals of poverty reduction,
wealth creation, employment generation and value re-orientation. NEEDS is a nationally
coordinated framework of action in close collaboration with the State
governments with their State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
(SEEDS). It is also a strategy for mobilising other stakeholders to consolidate
on the achievements of the last four years (1999- 2003) and build a solid
foundation for the attainment of Nigeria's long-term vision of becoming the
largest and strongest African economy and a key player in the world economy.
NEEDS
is based on a clear vision, sound values and enduring principles. It is about
the Nigerian people--- their welfare, their health, education, employment,
security, participation and empowerment. The various state governments are also
making progress in the preparation of their necessary complements to NEEDS.
Zonal training workshops are ongoing to assist states in the development of the
SEEDS.
It is hoped that with NEEDS and SEEDS, a new dawn of planning that
emphasizes inclusion, dialogue, consultation, coordination, and popular
participation will emerge in Nigeria.
With
effective implementation--- which the government has strongly committed to---
Nigeria will undoubtedly be great again.
I
am aware of the cynicism of many Nigerians regarding the necessity for a new
plan. There is now an ingrained attitude of
"we don hear am before." I want to assure you that NEEDS is
not just another plan on paper. It is an action plan that is now the basis for
budgeting and resource allocation. As you read the document, you will notice
several distinguishing features of NEEDS. In both its process and content,
NEEDS is fundamentally different. On process, this would be the first plan in
Nigeria that benefits from a nation-wide participatory process. It will also be
the first time that both the state governments (under SEEDS) and the federal
government (under NEEDS) are coordinating a planning framework with agreed
common priorities to agriculture, SMEs, infrastructure, public finance/public
sector
reforms
and emphasis on the social sectors. This coordination is new, and will ensure
synergies and complementarities.
In
the past, there has been a wrong emphasis on activities of the federal
government which receives 50% of the total revenue of the federation.
On
content, NEEDS is also different. It is a reform-based strategy unlike the
conventional plans. Its thrust is clear and focused, that is, empowerment,
wealth creation and poverty reduction, and not just economic growth that
trickles down: While we will continue to strengthen our growth centers, we want
to adopt a bottom-up approach that will mobilise the populace and empower them
to reach the highest points of their creative and productive capacities. The
targets and action plans are realistic and properly aligned to the resource
base and projected mobilization. NEEDS avoids the past mistakes of setting
unrealistic targets without adequate consideration of the
resource
constraints. Let me emphasise the fact that NEEDS will be almost entirely based
on the mobilization of internal resources without prejudice to our commitment
to establishing a conducive environment for attracting direct foreign
investment and working with our development partners.
The
implementation Strategy is also better articulated. There is a broad base
monitoring framework involving the federal, states and local governments,
including the private sector and the civil society. A peer review mechanism
will also facilitate effective implementation.
The previous Rolling Plans concentrated on ill-articulated large
portfolio of projects that were hardly implemented. Under NEEDS, projects are
dealt with at the sector levels. Also, for the first time and as a necessary complement
to NEEDS, we are developing nationally coordinated sector-wide strategies for
key sectors. This will clearly spell out the roles and responsibilities of
various tiers of government in the key sectors as well as the private sector
and delineate the structure of coordination. The point here is that for the
first time, we are developing plans that fully take into account the federal
nature of Nigeria, and hence the need to take coordination seriously. More
importantly, there is a total commitment of this Government and the National
Assembly to fully implement NEEDS. The National Assembly is poised to pass the
necessary legislation to facilitate implementation of several aspects of NEEDS.
Finally,
let me once more encourage all Nigerians to participate fully in this historic
consultation process. This is one opportunity to take charge of our future and
ground our hopes and dreams for a better future in popular ideas and total
commitment to democratic practice. Access to the NEEDS document has been fully
democratized. Everyone can visit the website on Nigerian Economy to download
the document. You may also contact the National Planning Commission to send you
a hard copy. At the end of the consultations, a popular edition of NEEDS would
be available for the ordinary person and for use in our schools. As you read
the document, bear in mind that nothing is cast on stone. Your contributions
are vital before the finalization of the document. As I have often said,
socio-economic development is too serious to be left to economists alone.
Indeed, it is too
serious
to be left to government alone. The private sector, the ordinary people must
own and drive it. If we all think together, act together, and implement the
NEEDS and SEEDS together, we would have laid the solid foundation for Nigeria
to become the giant it is destined to become.
I
hereby declare the Nation-wide consultations on NEEDS open.
Thank you and May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.