Tag: Bagudu

Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has advised local government administrators to stop depending on federal allocation to fund their programmes and policies.

He said the time has come for them to look inwards to harness internal resources that abound in all the 774 local government areas in the country.

The former Kebbi State governor noted that since all the local government areas in the country have various resources in their domains, they should use the comparative advantage of such resources to boost their internally generated revenue (IGR).

Badugu spoke yesterday in Abuja while addressing participants at the fourth edition of Local Government Economic Summit organised by the Summit Group with the summit: 25 Years of Uninterrupted Democracy in Nigeria: The Place of Local Government in Rural Development and Food Security.

The minister noted that though existing councils were economically viable, their heavy reliance on federal and state governments have grossly affected development at the grassroots.

“We must think outside the box on how to explore our comparative advantage in the interest of our people. The local governments should not just depend on allocations from the state and the federal governments. They should look inwards on how to harness their resources,” he said.

Bagudu recalled how he leveraged rice and cassava when he was Kebbi State governor to change the fortune of the state.

Also, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf said local governments were uniquely positioned to identify the challenges of those at the grassroots as well as proffer solutions to addressing same.

Represented by his deputy, Aminu Abdulsalam Garazo, the governor noted that to ensure food security at the grassroots, governments must support small holder farmers with necessary implements for them to deliver and help in addressing food insecurity.

He assured local government chairmen of his administration’s readiness to provide the needed platform for strengthening the local government system.

Read Also: Bagudu seeks Nigeria’s liberation from data imperialism

ALGON National President Bello Lawal said the newly granted financial autonomy to local government had raised the expectations of the people.

The union leader sought the support of the other tiers of government, developmental partners and civil societies for the new system to work well.

“We have no other choice but to rise to the occasion and ensure that all local government areas play their rightful role in driving development across the country.

“Transparency, accountability, openness, and accessibility will continue to be our watch words and the bedrock of our policies and leadership.

“I will like assure all and sundry that the current crop of leaders at the local government level will not disappoint Nigerians,” he said.

• UNICEF blames Nigeria’s out-of-school children on lack of data

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, yesterday urged Nigerians to extricate themselves from data imperialism.

He bemoaned the country’s continued reliance of on other nations for its data.

Bagudu spoke at this year’s celebration of African Statistics Day celebration with the theme: “Supporting Education by Modernising Production of Fit – For Purpose Statistics, yesterday in Abuja.

The minister noted that some countries have unmerited advantages in terms of data generation and presentation.

He urged Nigeria and Africa to appreciate that some firms and countries skew data generation, and presentation.

Read Also; In defence of Wike on Abuja demolitions

According to him, Nigeria needs to use its own data to tell its own stories.

Bagudu said: “Today, the market power of Amazon or Google basically determines what I buy. When COVID, unfortunately, struck the world, we saw companies that were showing data about the movement of people. It just shows that in a way – sorry to use this word – maybe that data imperialism is still very active in the sense that some companies or some countries have an undue advantage when it comes to data generation and the way that data is presented.

“So, I understand that we also need to recognise this and to compensate for it so that we are also using data in a way that we are telling our story.

“One of those stories that I would like to end with because it’s important to my portfolio is, for example, is there an objective way of determining how much investment a country of 230 million requires to have a good life for everyone? I believe there is. We can’t find it.”

According to him, all the data generated from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is independent of the government influence, and is as such reliable enough to avoid miscommunication.

He said: “The sanctity of data is the watchword in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinibu. We have recognised as a government and given independence to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“We have never sought to interfere in any way, shape or form with the coordination and timing. Even where some of us from an intellectual perspective want to engage in methodology debate, we make sure that we say it openly and transparently so that there will be no miscommunication as to what we are doing.”

In his goodwill message, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Education Manager, Mr. Jutaro Sakamioto, said education is one of the most important investments a nation could make.

According to him, it does not only empower children and youths with knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the labour market and the society but also drives economic and social development in the country.

Sakamioto added: “This is the reason why so many countries in the world put education as the top national priority. The potential of education investment is particularly high in Nigeria where the child population is increasing at a rapid pace.”

The UNICEF chief said Nigeria is grappling with the education challenges owing to its huge number of out-of-school children and poor learning results.

Alluding to an NBS report, he said one out-of-four children and 75 per cent of children had not developed functional learning skills that are critical building blocks to develop advanced knowledge and skills.

“However, Nigeria continues facing the education crisis with a large number of out-of-school children and poor learning outcomes.

“According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, a nationwide household survey implemented by National Bureau of Statistics with UNICEF’s support, one in four children are out of school and 75 per cent of children do not develop foundational learning skills that are critical building blocks to develop advanced knowledge and skills,” he added.

Also, the Statistician General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran, recalled that last Friday was the conclusion of the first annual conference of the newly established Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), which had a similar theme: Mainstreaming Innovation Statistical Approaches to Understanding and Solving Nigeria’s Economic Challenges.

The statistician general said it was a testament to the fact that NBS was becoming conscious of the issues facing the country and that it was prepared to and taking the necessary steps to confront them.

He said data showed that entities that innovate, on average, experience a 30 per cent growth in value than those that do not and outperform them by 11 per cent in terms of total revenue, annually.

He said NBS had adopted the mantra of innovation to stay relevant in meeting the demands of its mandate.

Adeniran added: “…We have set up a Data Innovation Desk within the bureau to advance, monitor, and track all data innovation initiatives across our production and dissemination processes.

“This can be seen in all aspects of our work, be it in the data we produce and the methodology we adopt, in the way we plan for our surveys, the way we collect and process the data, the way we report and disseminate information and, most of all, in the way we communicate the data to the public.

“All of this is in a bid to ensure that we provide the right data, which is a critical tool for development, to all our users in a timely manner and in a way that is useful and suited to their needs.”

The Minister of the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu has urged Nigerians to extricate themselves from data imperialism.

He bemoaned the country’s continued reliance on other nations for its data.

He spoke at the 2024 African Statistics Day celebration in Abuja.

The theme of the event was “Supporting Education by modernizing production of fit-for-purpose statistics.”

He said some countries have unmerited advantages in terms of data generation and presentation.

The Minister urged Nigeria and Africa to appreciate that some firms and countries skew data generation and presentation.

He called on Nigeria to also use its own data to tell its own stories.

Bagudu said: “Today, the market power of Amazon or Google determines what I buy. When COVID unfortunately struck the world, we saw data companies that were showing data about the movement of people. And it just shows that in a way, sorry to use this word, maybe data imperialism is still very active in the sense that some companies or some countries have an undue advantage when it comes to data generation and the way that data is presented.

“So I understand that we also need to recognize this and to compensate for it so that we are also using data in a way that we are telling our story.

“And one of those stories that I would like to end with because it’s important to my portfolio is for example, is there an objective way of determining how much investment a country of 230 million requires to have a good life for everyone? I believe there is. We can’t find it.”

According to him, all the data generated from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) are independent of government influence and are as such reliable enough to avoid miscommunication.

He said, “The sanctity of data is the watchword in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed. We have recognized it as a government and given independence to the National Bureau of Statistics.

“We have never sought to interfere in any way, shape, or form with the coordination, timing, and even where some of us from an intellectual perspective want to engage in methodology debate, we make sure that we say it openly and transparently so that there will be no miscommunication as to what we are doing.”

In his goodwill message, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Education Manager, Mr. Jutaro Sakamioto said education is proven as one of the most important investments.

According to him, it does not only empowers children and youth with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in labour market and society but also drives economic and social development in the country.

The country with educated and productive citizens, he said, enjoys spillover effects such as increased tax revenue, decreased crime rate, and improved democracy with active citizenship.

He added: “This is the reason why so many countries in the world put education as the top national priority. The potential of education investment is particularly high in Nigeria where the child population is increasing at a rapid pace.”

Sakamioto however said Nigeria is grappling with the education challenges owing to its huge number of out-of-school children and poor learning results.

According to an NBS report, he said one out of four children and 75 percent of children have not developed functional learning skills, which are critical building blocks to developing advanced knowledge and skills.

“However, Nigeria continues facing the education crisis with a large number of out-of-school children and poor learning outcomes.

“According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, a nationwide household survey implemented by the National Bureau of Statistics with UNICEF’s support, 1 in 4 children are out of school and 75% of children do not develop foundational learning skills that are critical building blocks to develop advanced knowledge and skills,” said Sakamioto.

Continuing, he said there are different bottlenecks including supply side and demand side factors.

 He stressed that however, one of the most critical cross-cutting barriers is a lack of data.

He however pledged that UNICEF with other development partners will continue to support the Government in transforming the data governance and ecosystems in the education sector.

Meanwhile, the Statistician General of the Federation, Adeyemi Adeniran recalled that Friday last week was the conclusion of the first Annual Conference of the newly established Chartered Institute of

Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), which had a similar theme: Mainstreaming Innovation Statistical Approaches to Understanding and Solving Nigeria’s Economic Challenges.

He said it is a testament to the fact that NBS is becoming conscious of the issues facing the country as a system, and more importantly, it is prepared to and is taking the necessary steps to confront them.

He said data shows that entities that innovate, on average, experience a 30% growth in value than those that do not and outperform them by 11% in terms of total revenue, annually.

Read Also: First Lady, Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu lead others in Walk to raise cancer awareness

He said NBS has adopted the mantra of innovation to stay relevant in meeting the demands of its mandate.

According to him, this is in line with the Data Innovation Lab (DIL) initiative of the African Development Bank and the Roadmap for the transformation and modernization of official statistics in Africa being championed by the African Centre for Statistics.

Adeniran added: “Accordingly, we have set up a Data Innovation Desk within the Bureau to advance, monitor, and track all data innovation initiatives across our production and dissemination processes. This can be seen in all aspects of our work, be it in the data we produce and the methodology we adopt, in the way we plan for our surveys, the way we collect and process the data, the way we report and disseminate information, and most of all, in the way in which we communicate the data to the public.

“All of this is in a bid to ensure that we provide the right data which is a critical tool for development to all our users in a timely manner and in a way that is useful and suited to their needs.”

Nigeria’s rapid population growth, without corresponding economic expansion, has made the current economic reforms of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration necessary.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, shed light on the imperative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms on Thursday while speaking at th 64th Independence Anniversary World Press Conference, in Abuja. 

According to Bagudu, Nigeria’s population has surged fivefold since 1960, from 45 million to approximately 232.7 million, intensifying demands for government services, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and global competitiveness. 

In the last 25 years, Nigeria’s population has grown from 119 million, yet the economy has not kept pace.

Despite this disparity, expectations for government services have heightened, driven by constitutional democracy and citizens’ awareness of their rights. As a result, Nigerians are seeking improved infrastructure, water, schools, empowerment, and opportunities for meaningful lives.

According to Bagudu, President Tinubu’s administration recognizes the need to confront these challenges head-on, without playing the blame game, adding that the government aims to mobilize the populace by acknowledging past efforts and collective responsibility.

He said the timing of these reforms is critical, as Nigeria and many countries face a global cost of living crisis. 

“As you rightly heard, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation said, in 1960 there are 45 million of them. That was the population of Nigeria. Now we are five fold, there are 230 million of us. Not surprisingly, demand for government services, infrastructure, financing to fund education, health services and compete with other nations have grown significantly. 

“In fact, in 1999, which is 25 years in our democratic journey, our population was 119 million. But while our population has been growing five-fold, our economy has not expanded as quickly as the population has expanded and with constitutional democracy, the demand for government services increased. 

“Constituencies are aware about their rights and the obligations of government towards them. So they want infrastructure, they want water, they want schools, they want empowerment, they want ability to live meaningful lives.

“So when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu campaigned, based on both his collective experience in life, and in particular, as a former state governor and contemporary student of international history, he reckoned that what we need to do as a country is to communicate this challenge properly and correctly and without blame game, confront it while acknowledging that in the past, a lot of effort has been put to get it, but we are not there. 

“The easiest way to mobilize a populace is to quit blame game, admit the challenge, and mobilize the populace so that we confront the challenge. He was sworn in at a time when the world, countries in the industrial world and many developing countries are facing a cost of living crisis”, he said. 

On his part, the Minister of Works and Housing, David Umahi, said the government inherited a lot of challenges as far as roads in the country were concerned.

Umahi explained that poor design and supervision of the roads, coupled with poor construction were the problems the administration met on ground, including inheriting a lot of inflation and high cost of building materials in road development.

He however said the Federal Government has improved on the design of the roads and the President has also introduced new windows for infrastructure funding.

Read Also: Our programmes will address irregular migration – Bagudu

Speaking on the 18 years benchmark for admission into tertiary institution, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Maman, said the nation’s laws, particularly the Universal Basic Education Act and the Minimum Standard Policy Act, established in 1983, prescribed specific age limit for every level of education in the country.

Also speaking, the Ministrler of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, said his ministry is working to improve water and sanitation access in Nigeria, commissioning several dams and irrigation projects to enhance food security. 

He said the ministry is also inviting investors to participate in river basins and empowering youths and women in farming. 

He added that the ministry is also promoting the Clean Nigeria Campaign to improve hygiene and prevent disease transmission.

The Federal Government has said it is making efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost the economy and create employment.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu said that irregular migration had a lot of unintended negative outcomes such as human trafficking and drug peddling.

He said this at an Anti-Migration Summit organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Blacks Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) Foundation in Abuja.

The minister said the Federal Government realised the urgent need to advance Nigerian economy to an enviable level where it can support her leadership status as the pride of Africa.

He said: “A two trillion dollar economy will support the correction of all of what we are here talking about, such as the irregular migration or the ‘Japa’ syndrome in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is not seeking to end migration by her citizens but to ensure that people only migrate out of choice not by compulsion.

“The present administration is making strident efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost our economy and create employment.”

He said that most of the policy measures being pursued were meant to support the country’s aspiration to attain higher economic goals.

Founder and CEO of BANC Foundation, Dr. Chibuzor Onyeama stressed the need for the federal government to address pressing issues like poverty, unemployment, insecurity, political instability, and poor educational quality—challenges that push citizens to seek opportunities abroad.

He also urged the federal government and other African governments to adopt more effective and proactive strategies to address the root causes of irregular migration.

Expressing concern over the harrowing experiences faced by many African youths during dangerous migration journeys, he noted that despite these tragedies, a significant number of youths continue to embark on perilous migration routes.

Onyeama called on countries with high rates of irregular migration to establish safer and more transparent regular migration pathways to protect individuals from exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery, and, in extreme cases, death.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Patrick Lumumba expressed regret that African countries have failed to make meaningful progress even decades after independence from colonialism.

Lumumba stressed that a change in mindset is essential to addressing irregular migration.

He called for reforms in African politics to create opportunities in agriculture, and developing clear policy guidelines, research, and innovation.

He said: “African politics is in dire need of reform. Good governance creates the oxygen that the economy needs to breathe. When the economy breathes, opportunities arise.

“We must create an environment where young men and women can thrive. Without addressing these systemic issues, the problem of irregular migration will persist.”

Read Also: Shinkafi-Bagudu bags dicey Scroggins distinguished advocate award

Guest lecturer, Dr. Anthony Chibo said irregular migration is a crisis that must be tackled from its root causes to prevent Nigeria from further decline.

Chibo proposed entrepreneurial skills, harnessing technology and innovation, and strengthening educational systems as long-term solutions to irregular migration.

He revealed that over 1.3 million Nigerians had migrated in the last five years, saying: “with many lives lost, yet these numbers are often underreported.”

He added: “Out of every five irregular migrants, only one reaches their destination. We do not know the fate of two, and the remaining two are likely trapped in slavery, particularly in Libya,” Chibo lamented.

The Federal Government has said it is making efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost the economy and create employment.

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu said that irregular migration had a lot of unintended negative outcomes such as human trafficking and drug peddling.

He said this at an Anti-Migration Summit organised by a non-governmental organisation, the Blacks Ancestral Native Communities (BANC) Foundation in Abuja.

The minister said the Federal Government realised the urgent need to advance Nigerian economy to an enviable level where it can support her leadership status as the pride of Africa.

He said: “A two trillion dollar economy will support the correction of all of what we are here talking about, such as the irregular migration or the ‘Japa’ syndrome in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is not seeking to end migration by her citizens but to ensure that people only migrate out of choice not by compulsion.

“The present administration is making strident efforts to curtail irregular migration by Nigerians through policies and programmes that will boost our economy and create employment.”

He said that most of the policy measures being pursued were meant to support the country’s aspiration to attain higher economic goals.

Founder and CEO of BANC Foundation, Dr. Chibuzor Onyeama stressed the need for the federal government to address pressing issues like poverty, unemployment, insecurity, political instability, and poor educational quality—challenges that push citizens to seek opportunities abroad.

He also urged the federal government and other African governments to adopt more effective and proactive strategies to address the root causes of irregular migration.

Expressing concern over the harrowing experiences faced by many African youths during dangerous migration journeys, he noted that despite these tragedies, a significant number of youths continue to embark on perilous migration routes.

Onyeama called on countries with high rates of irregular migration to establish safer and more transparent regular migration pathways to protect individuals from exploitation, human trafficking, modern slavery, and, in extreme cases, death.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Patrick Lumumba expressed regret that African countries have failed to make meaningful progress even decades after independence from colonialism.

Lumumba stressed that a change in mindset is essential to addressing irregular migration.

He called for reforms in African politics to create opportunities in agriculture, and developing clear policy guidelines, research, and innovation.

He said: “African politics is in dire need of reform. Good governance creates the oxygen that the economy needs to breathe. When the economy breathes, opportunities arise.

“We must create an environment where young men and women can thrive. Without addressing these systemic issues, the problem of irregular migration will persist.”

Read Also: Shinkafi-Bagudu bags dicey Scroggins distinguished advocate award

Guest lecturer, Dr. Anthony Chibo said irregular migration is a crisis that must be tackled from its root causes to prevent Nigeria from further decline.

Chibo proposed entrepreneurial skills, harnessing technology and innovation, and strengthening educational systems as long-term solutions to irregular migration.

He revealed that over 1.3 million Nigerians had migrated in the last five years, saying: “with many lives lost, yet these numbers are often underreported.”

He added: “Out of every five irregular migrants, only one reaches their destination. We do not know the fate of two, and the remaining two are likely trapped in slavery, particularly in Libya,” Chibo lamented.

The federal government has promised that the private sector will lead the growth of Nigeria’s economy.

This was announced by the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, during a press briefing about the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit set for October 14-16, 2024.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Emeka Obi, emphasized the critical role of private enterprise in achieving Nigeria’s long-term economic goals.

“The private sector will be the engine of growth of the economy, while the government will implement policies and regulations that promote a favourable business environment to achieve a high rate of investment and savings,” Obi stated.

The federal government’s vision, as outlined by the Minister, hinges on unlocking the potential of the private sector to drive the country towards becoming a USD1 trillion economy.

Read Also: Five causes of bad breath

“Investment is necessary to create jobs and achieve the projected USD1 trillion economy, while structural barriers that constrain the vulnerable segment of the society from realizing their potentials are addressed,” the Minister added.

This strategy, according to the Minister, will also focus on tackling structural impediments, such as poverty, that limit the ability of the vulnerable population to contribute fully to economic growth.

The government’s commitment to job creation through increased investment will complement efforts to enhance national productivity and inclusivity.

The 30th edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES), themed “Collaborative Action for Growth, Competitiveness, and Stability,” promises to build upon the discussions from previous summits.

Senator Bagudu noted that this year’s summit will address several vital economic priorities, including a roadmap for stable and accelerated economic growth, underpinned by sustainable and inclusive development.

In addition, deliberations will focus on how transformative political leadership and effective governance can enhance the capacity of the Nigerian state to deliver the dividends of democracy.

The Summit will explore ways to transform Nigeria’s vast human capital into a productive and innovative force that contributes to the country’s security, stability, and future growth.

Emphasis will be placed on how subnational competitiveness can play a pivotal role in driving national economic growth and development.

The Summit will also debate and agree on economic priorities for Nigeria in 2024 and beyond, with a focus on creating consensus among stakeholders.

The Summit’s discussions will focus on addressing current economic challenges, stabilizing the economy, and positioning Nigeria to harness its enormous potential on both the regional and global stage. The topics for this year’s gathering will include product complexity and competitiveness, ensuring that Nigeria maximizes its economic opportunities.

Speaking earlier at the event, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), expressed optimism about Nigeria’s potential in the next five years. He predicted that the country could emerge as a leading industrializing nation in Africa, provided it undertakes crucial reforms.

“We can reform our political, policy, and regulatory systems, unlock local content development, foster sub-national economic diversification, and create a globally competitive business environment,” Yusuf said.

He added that such efforts would not only improve the lives of millions of Nigerians but also reduce poverty and attract increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country.

Yusuf underscored the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in achieving economic stability and growth.

He emphasised that NESG, in partnership with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, is committed to providing a platform for stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue that would lead to transformative economic outcomes.

In the lead-up to the October event, the NESG has hosted a series of Pre-Summit events focused on key sectors such as education, healthcare, financial inclusion, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), mining, and manufacturing.

These events, held between August and September, have created a foundation for the in-depth analysis and discussions that will take place during the Summit.

In addition, the group held a National Economic Dialogue that focused on the future of Nigeria’s economy, with particular emphasis on growth, stability, and human capital development.

“These discussions have set the stage for in-depth analysis and consensus-building at the Summit, and their outcomes will be documented in the report of the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit, called the 2024 Green Book,” Yusuf stated.

As the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit approaches, all eyes are on the outcomes that will emerge from the deliberations. With the theme “Collaborative Action for Growth, Competitiveness, and Stability,” the Summit aims to set the tone for a future where Nigeria not only stabilizes its economy but also repositions itself as a powerhouse in the African and global markets.

Government officials, business leaders, and key stakeholders are expected to come together in pursuit of transformative actions that will create a favourable investment climate, strengthen national productivity, and ensure that the private sector remains a driving force in Nigeria’s economic journey.