Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has called on the Cabinet members to set aside individual aspirations and prioritise the advancement of the nation.
The President has also directed the reactivation of the Presidential Delivery Tracker to empower Nigerians to track the implementation of projects across the country in real-time.
Speaking at the closing session of the three-day Cabinet Retreat on Friday in Abuja, the President said that his determination to ensure the active and direct participation of citizens in governance is unwavering, noting that all Nigerians must be allowed to track and report on the implementation of projects across the country.
CLOSING SPEECH OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU AT THE CABINET RETREAT FOR MINISTERS, PRESIDENTIAL AIDES, PERMANENT SECRETARIES AND TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.
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President Tinubu said he has asked his Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, to immediately reactivate the tracking system in a way that maximally leverages cutting-edge digital innovation to provide real-time oversight capability for the benefit of all Nigerians.
President Tinubu also redefined the priority areas of his administration: reform the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth; strengthen national security for peace and prosperity; boost agriculture to achieve food security; unlock energy and natural resources for sustainable development; enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth; focus on education, health, and social investment as essential pillars of development; accelerate diversification through industrialization, digitization, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation; and improve governance for effective service delivery.
President Tinubu urged the executives to concentrate on repositioning Nigeria’s economy, prioritising education, and ensuring quality health delivery services for Nigerians.
The Nigerian leader obtained the participant’s pledge to work for Nigeria towards realising the common goals of the renewed agenda.
He further tasked the Cabinet members to work together to ensure that Nigeria fully recovers from the challenges it currently facing.
“I want to reiterate that the Renewed Hope Agenda is about more than just economic growth. It is also about building a more just and equitable society for all Nigerians. It is about creating jobs, improving education and healthcare, and reducing poverty. It is about ensuring that all Nigerians have the opportunity to succeed.
“I know that we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am confident we can achieve our goals. We have a strong team in place, and we are committed to working together to build a better future for Nigeria.
“Let me remind you that our people are not interested in excuses, political games, or procrastination. Neither am I. They are interested in tangible results. They seek solutions to the problems that have long plagued our great nation. The challenge before us demands that we put aside personal ambitions and focus on adhering to the performance bond we have all signed up for on this day. These performance bonds represent a contract we must uphold,” the president said.
The President also emphasised the importance of data in governance, saying, “Data is the lifeblood of effective governance. It enables us to understand the challenges we face so that we can design and implement effective solutions, as well as monitor and evaluate our progress. Without data, we are flying blind.”
Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, said the key recommendations from the technical sessions of the retreat, part of which included references to policies and priorities in the areas of reforming the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth, ensuring the annual budget is aligned with strategic priorities, and strengthening national security for peace and prosperity.
Intensify efforts to block revenue leakages in the police force. Engage with governors to strengthen security at local government levels while addressing issues of autonomy and governance. Prioritise the clean-up of Ogoni communities and boost agriculture to achieve food security.
Other recommendations include the utilisation of technology to increase agricultural yield, intensifying efforts to erect the green wall to stop the encroachment of deserts in northern Nigeria, enhancing dry-season farming and promoting commercial livestock farming, setting up a super grid in line with the nation’s generation targets, and creating semi-autonomous regional grids.
