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Agenda 2050: Minister
Seeks  Bottom-Up Approach for Implementation

The Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem
Ikanade  Agba, has stated that the Technical Working
Groups (TWGs) Anchors and Heads of Secretariat are critical to the
development of the Medium and Long-Term National Development Plans,
especially in liaising with other stakeholders such as coordinators
and deputy coordinators drawn from state and non state actors.

The Minister stated this in Abuja, while declaring open a
3-day Capacity Building workshop organized for TWGs Anchors and
Heads of Secretariat constituted for the development of the
Medium Term National Development Plans (2021 – 2025 & 2026 – 2030)
and Long-Term National Development Plans (Agenda 2050).

He noted that the history of development planning in Nigeria showed
a general lack of coordination and harmonization of
programmes/policies, which he stated had also not benefited from a
bottom-up approach, which negatively affected implementation.

“As a responsible government desirous of changing the fortune of
Nigerians and the future of generations yet unborn, the
administration of President Muhammadu Buhari desires that we
periodically draw comprehensive plans through which the welfare of
citizens can be enhanced economically, socially and politically
among others,” he added.

Agba said that the new plans being articulated were expected to
address development challenges in all aspects of the country’s
national life within the agreed timeframe. 

According to him, “the planning process is also inclusive and
participatory with the full involvement of the Sub-National
governments (States and Local Governments), the Organized Private
Sector, the major political parties, the National Assembly, youth
and women organizations, the physically challenged, and other
relevant stakeholders.”

“This way, we would have a truly Nigerian National Development Plan
and not a federal government plan,” he explained.

​Agba further expressed satisfaction with the various topics
selected for the workshop, which included the history and
trajectory of development planning in Nigeria; development planning
process, Institutional Arrangements for Effective Plan
Implementation, Understanding the Macroeconomic Framework for the
MTNDP 2021-2025, MTNDP 2026-2030 and National Agenda 2050,
Institutional Arrangements for Effective Plan
Implementation. 

The Minister commended Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) of Germany,
co-organizers, its Nigerian Country Representative, Dr. Vladimir
Kreck for their continuous support to the Ministry and especially
in organizing and funding the programme. 

He recalled that just recently, KAS partnered the Ministry in
organizing a similar capacity building programme for Special
Advisers of the Ministers, stressing that the training was timely
and impact-full as attested to by the participants.

Earlier, KAS Country Representative said the organization decided
to support Nigeria in organizing the workshop given “the manifold
social and economic problems COVID-19 had entailed.”

“This seminar will empower the participants to contribute
efficiently and successfully to the process of creating a
substantial Medium-Term National Development Plan for Nigeria”, he
added.