Nigeria To Re-Introduce National Development Plan
The Nigerian President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has
promised to re-introduce the National Development Plan, 22 years
after it was shelved by previous administrations for other
economic blueprints.
President Yar’Adua said its re-introduction was part of strategies
to realise the Vision 2020 target, which focuses on economic
growth and development.
According to him, “there is so much that we can learn from these
previous plans, and design more functional ones for our current
circumstances. Part of what rekindled our interest in the strategy
is the success of the economies in transition.”
He debunked claims in some quarters that, given the antecedents of
development plans in Nigeria, the re-introduction may appear
retrogressive and obsolete.
President Yar ‘Adua said he is convinced that “a properly designed
and well executed plan is what we need in the next 12 years.”
Departure
The New Development Plan is envisaged to vary from the previous
ones in planning and implementation in several ways.
First, it will deviate from the culture of “planning without
facts” and ensure technical and professional inputs.
Secondly, it will encourage a zonal approach to development
planning.
Synergy
The Nigerian President also said that the plan would follow a
scientific sequence of preparation, validation with regions,
negotiation with key partners, communication plan, project
formulation, implementation, follow-up evaluation and possible
adjustments.
He explained that the organised private sector would be involved
in its planning and implementation, either through public private
partnership or public finance initiatives.
The three tiers of government, according to him, will provide the
enabling regulatory environment as well as concentrate on their
investments in social infrastructure, especially education and
health.
President Yar‘Adua outlined plans for adopting the new economic
tool in a presentation, entitled, “Requirements For Achieving
Vision 2020,” at the opening of the 50th National Economic Society
conference.
Nigeria had evolved four National Development Plans in the past,
in the years 1962-1968, 1970-1974, 1975-1980 and 1981-1985.
NP/QASIM/YINKA
