- He promised that the ministry would offer sustainable immediate palliative measures
- He promised to engender reforms that would cascade down to the parastatals under the ministry in a manner that would enhance their input toward achieving the ministry’s mandate
The newly inaugurated Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu says he will leverage on the Ministry, its parastatals, agencies, and partners to unlock the economic potential of the country.
He dropped the hint in his address delivered on the resumption ceremony organised by the ministry in Abuja.
Recall that the Minister is among the 45 newly appointed ministers inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu on Monday.
Bagudu said, the current national challenge represents a generational opportunity to plan, replan and doggedly implement his carefully thought-out interventions and do so patriotically.
He promised that the ministry would help the new administration to think through the current economic challenges and offer sustainable immediate palliative measures.
He further promised to engender reforms that would cascade down to the parastatals under the ministry in a manner that would enhance their input toward achieving the ministry’s mandate.
“Our economy is undergoing a challenging transition. For example, market-based pricing of Petroleum products comes with shocks that require deep reflections on policy tweaking and strategic interventions.
“This will put our ministry under obligation to help government to think through these challenges and offer sustainable immediate palliative measures.
“In my tenure as Minister, Budget and Economic Planning, I will keep an open door policy, listen to your outputs and suggestions as well as challenge us to think out of the box.
“In coming months, there is a heavy lifting to be done. I will work meticulously to leverage on the enormous human resources of the Ministry, its parastatals to unlock the potentials of our country, and achieve the noble agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
He appealed for maximum cooperation and sacrifice of staff of the ministry and assured that he would tap into the collective knowledge, experience, and wisdom of all stakeholders to rise up and surmount this national emergency.
On the autonomous agencies and parastatals under the purview of the Ministry, the Minister said, “We will initiate reforms with a carefully developed action agenda on studies, surveys, and research of the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research, NISER.”
In view of the double-digit growth agenda of the Federal Government, he said that the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, requires a clear measurable road map to a realignment of the National Statistical System, NSS to achieve sector targets and SDGs milestones.
For the implementation of the Social Protection Policy, he assured that the newly approved Social Protection Policy will be given special attention in order to assuage the growing challenges of poverty and access to improved livelihood conditions.
“In its implementation, we will pay special attention to social inclusion, welfare, and the cardinal responsibility of States and Local Governments as vehicles of outreach to the citizens” he added.