The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate said Monday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s focus was on the economic growth, prosperity for all and ending poverty among Nigerians .
The Minister said this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the maiden Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by the President.
He said the Federal Executive Council paid attention to the President’s vision, stressed said the health and education sectors were carefully considered.
“The President’s vision is that of economic growth, prosperity for all, ending poverty. One element that is key and underlying all of those efforts is the people, Nigeria’s most important asset is its people, its youthful population and the human capital that is bestowed in that youthful population,” he said.
The President also intends to mobilize the nation’s social capital to be used as a vehicle for transforming the people and country.
“Mr President’s vision includes the idea of harnessing the human capital of our youthful population, to achieve the prosperity for everyone, to mobilize the social capital that is in our country, uniting us as a people, to drive this transformation that is his direction for the administration, that includes dealing with nutrition, food and we have the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
“Health, preventive diseases, but also quality of health, not only as an area that supports people to live healthier lives, but healthier people also drive economic growth. Education, to ensure that people are not left behind, so that the child of anyone can aspire to the highest levels, so that we’ll have an inclusive economy as the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister indicated.
“The poorest and the most vulnerable populations; girls, women, children, disabled are an important element in the human capital agenda of this administration. The bias is towards action so that we’ll get things done and he’s very clear that the President wants us to domesticate our efforts within our own national context, but also to be very practical in the interventions that we’ll make,” he said.
He said the ministers were now poised for action in line with the President’s vision and matching orders.
“With those marching orders, we now have our jobs cut out for us and we’ll continue to define, as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy indicated. The President has high expectations and he urges us to ensure the high expectations of Nigerians are met and I believe that the entire cabinet is enthused to follow the President’s directions and to start to deliver for Nigerians,” he said.