ITS NEVER TOO LATE... Towards the 2011 general elections, my Principal Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida(Rtd) while declaring his intention to take a shot at the Presidency of our great country said; Employment: wealth creation Unemployment retards human development and breeds poverty thereby lowering consumption levels, incomes, family stability and social cohesion. Current statistics show that a large number of Nigerians, especially the youth, are unemployed or unemployable, some lacking in relevant skills because of our excessive insistence on formal education to the neglect of vocational education. Our efforts in the past to tackle this problem included the establishment of NDE(National Directorate of Employment), BPE (Bureau of Public Enterprises), Peoples Banks, Community Banks, NERFUND (Nigerian Economic Reconstruction Fund), NALDA (Nigerian Agricultural Land Development Authority), Export Processing Zones. New policy thrust Review existing policies and structures with a view to strengthening them along lines of best practices and desirable results. Recognizing the multidimensional and multi-stakeholder character of unemployment, government will provide the platforms for public- private partnership and community involvement. Our initiatives in this regard will involve directly creating employment through public works programmes with massive investment in infrastructure and social services; and also induce private sector job opportunities. The target will be to generate a minimum of 2.5 million jobs annually. Scale and speed up agriculture from mere food production and cash crops to agro-processing which creates synergies between agriculture, manufacturing and the informal sector. Bring the rural unemployed into focus of the national fight against unemployment, particularly in partnership or collaboration with the states, local governments as well as the private sector. Greater attention to be paid to the relatively weaker segment/socially marginalized sections of the populace, especially women, youths and the physically challenged persons. The role of MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) and NEPAD (New Partnership for Africas Development) programmes in employment/wealth creation will be strengthened and fostered The following specific objectives, among others, would constitute the focus of our economic management policy in a determined effort to re-inaugurate a caring society: (i) A macroeconomic framework that attracts investment; promote economic stability; and sustain high non-inflationary growth. (ii) A strong partnership between the public and private sector, which is private sector-driven with the government as the enabler. (iii) Use Nigeria’s wealth of natural resources to diversify the economy, and thus reduce significantly over-dependence on oil and gas. (iv) The growth and development of small and medium-scale business to provide wider economic opportunities, employment and poverty alleviation. (v) A modern, well-structured, efficient and competitive financial and banking system that caters for the long-term needs of the economy. (vi) Transform our urban and rural communities as well as the waterways into centres of production, and thus, generate employment opportunities for our people. (vii) Human development programmes through massive investment in education, health and housing. (viii) Restore and sustain our family values and morals as the basis for a caring society. (ix) Collaborate with the States, Local Governments, the Legislature and Judiciary to sustain democracy and federalism as the definitive character of the Nigerian state and as the framework for achieving our objectives of economic productivity and a caring society. Ive always maintained that a society that does not correctly interpret and appreciate its past cannot understand its present fortunes and adversities and can be caught unawares in a fast changing world. I understand the past of this nation, Im in the present and I promise to deliver to every Nigerian the future he deserves.- IBB Please do not get me wrong... IBB is not contesting.... We are not campaigning..... All Im saying is lIts never too late to copy and adopt the policies put forward here... God Bless Nigeria
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 08:11:04 +0000
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