By Patrick Andrew
Abuja
The Nigeria Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (NEGRP), which will evolve palliatives to quickly address the pressing economic recession, will need the total support from Nigerians to succeed, according to the Public Policy Monitoring Group (PPMG).
The new policies and programmes scheduled for launch by President Muhmmadu Buhari within the next few days are meant to tackle the structural weaknesses and external challenges which the Nigerian economy is currently grappling with.
The Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Dr. Udoma Udo Udoma, who disclosed the federal government’s intention to float the recovery and growth plans, at a consultative forum, had pleaded with Nigerians to accept and cooperate with the government in this regard.
Accordingly, the group, a roundtable think tank of Citizens Media and Development Network (CIMEDEN), appealed to Nigerians to set aside their political, ethnic and other differences and support the economic policies of President Buhari for the development of the country and for posterity.
The body said in a release signed by its acting head of media and public relations, Muhammed Ibrahim, which the recovery and growth plans would require critical and painful steps, and urged Nigerians to be willing to persevere and cooperate with the federal government for the economy to get out of the woods.
“If the present administration is able to successfully manage its multi-sector reforms, especially introduction of probity, transparency and accountability in fiscal policy reforms, investments in infrastructural developments in the areas of electricity, good road network, rail transportation, agriculture, steel sector and solid mineral exploration, the economy will register growth and bounce back to life.”
Also, the group urged the Federal Government to come up with attainable comprehensive roadmap capable of providing social inclusiveness to Nigerians thereby engaging all critical stakeholders in economic sectors to end the recession as soon as possible.
However, it commended the Federal Government’s economic diversification campaign but charged it to go beyond rhetorics to stimulating other sectors of the economy with proactive policies and programmes to boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from its present 2.5 percent.
