Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has inaugurated the Steering Committee of the National Development Plan 2021–2025 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, the Vice President said the aim of the committee is to lay a solid foundation for a strong base that would drive an effective implementation and produce a prosperous country.
“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,” he said.
He said the steering committee is required to provide the necessary policy guidance and leadership for effective and successful implementation of the development 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.
“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.
“Going forward, the federal overnment 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,” he said.
The committee is made up of the Vice President as chairman, Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning as vice chairman and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning as secretary.
Members of the committee include six governors (one from each geopolitical zone), Minister of Works and Housing, Minister of Transport, Minister of Environment , Minister of Health, Minister of Power, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Others include the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and the Chief Executive Officers of the Budget Office of the Federation and the National Bureau of Statistics.
Other are the representatives of the Organised Private Sector (OPS), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Development Partners (DPs) and the chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).