- Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Development Plan (2021 - 2025), noting that the aim is to lay a solid foundation for a strong base that will drive an effective implementation and produce a prosperous country.
According to him, the overall aim of establishing the National Steering Committee (NSC) and the Development Plan Implementation Unit (DPIU) is to lay the foundation for a strong institutional base, structures and systems that would drive and ensure efficient and effective implementation of the targets in the National Development Plan 2021 - 2025, towards building a prosperous country.
President Muhammadu Buhari had launched the National Development Plan on December 22, 2021.
Speaking Tuesday at the inauguration of the 25-man committee at the State House, Abuja, the vice-president said the Steering Committee is required to provide the necessary policy guidance and leadership for effective and successful implementation of the plan.
"It is a testament to the determination and commitment of the government to provide the desired political will and leadership for effective implementation of the new national development plan," he said.
He added that the committee is a national assignment with institutional membership and outlives an administration.
His words: "Indeed, this particular National Steering Committee will, in a few months, hand over to a new administration. This calls for dedication and hard work to lay a solid foundation in the relatively short time left."
Osinbajo pointed out that "going forward, the federal government is determined to make a paradigm shift by ensuring that agencies and institutions make necessary commitments and account for the level of implementation of programmes and projects within their respective sectors, especially those that were admitted into the National Development Plan, with a view to increasing and improving infrastructure stock in Nigeria.
"We may also recall that a pillar of this government's commitments is to reduce poverty by moving 100 million people out of poverty to the path of prosperity in 10 years, by the end of 2030. In this regard, NDP 2021 - 2025 was designed to lift 35 million people out of poverty and generate 21 million jobs by the end of 2025."
The vice-president listed the specific objectives of the committee of which he is the chairman to include:
To ensure efficient management of the implementation process of the Plan; to reduce bureaucratic processes in the governance process; to gradually professionalise planning functions for capacity sustainability; to begin the process of institutionalisation of the Plan implementation within the ministry and other MDAs; to facilitate manpower development and adequate utilisation in the public service to drive the implementation of the Plan; to exercise cooperation and coordination towards effective implementation of national development plans by all MDAs.
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Membership of the committee is composed of the vice-president as chairman; Minister of State, Budget and National Planning is vice-chairman; Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning to serve as secretary; six state governors (one governor from each geopolitical zone); CEO of the Budget Office of the Federation;
CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics; Minister of Works & Housing; Minister of Power ; Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment; Minister of Transport and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Other members are Minister of Environment; Minister of Health; Governor of CBN; GMD of NNPC; representative of the Organised Private Sector (OPS); representative of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and representative of Development Partners.
