Nigeria re-emergence as Africa’s biggest economy not a fluke – APC

By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday said the nation’s new economic status as Africa’s biggest economy was not a fluke but a product of deliberate practices and policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Nigeria re-emerged Africa’s biggest economy after overtaking South Africa, which has entered its second recession in two years.

The ruling party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the new continental economic status was a rewarding and fitting economic scorecard of the President Buhari’s administration.

The party noted: “Since the Nigerian economy exited recession in 2017, the country’s economic growth has not been a fluke but a result of deliberate practices and policies of the President Buhari administration that has increased transparency in governance, diversification of the economy away from oil, improved fiscal management, and a healthy protectionist approach which has aided the growth and increased the capacity of domestic producers and in turn created jobs.

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“The hugely successful anti-corruption efforts such as implementation of a Treasury Single Account that allows the government to better track and manage its resources and a more transparent government payroll and personnel system that eliminated duplication and ‘ghost workers’ has alleviated poverty and made more cash available for critical infrastructure projects”.

The party also pointed out that despite the dwindling resources as a result of fall in oil prices, the country has continued to witness economic growth.

“The fact that we are making commendable progress with all the challenges shows this government is doing the right thing.

“There is no doubt about the determination of the Buhari government to continue to take the right steps to create jobs, grow the economy, create a secure environment, massively develop our infrastructure and develop our other resources through focused and well- reasoned diversification policies”.

Issa-Onilu then advised the teeming youth to embrace and support government in terms of finance, ease of doing business, and other services to enable them release their latent creative energies of our youths.