President Goodluck Jonathan has sent a New Year message to the people of Nigeria.
NEW YEAR MESSAGE TO THE NATION FROM PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR
DECEMBER 31, 2013
Dear Compatriots,
I
greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the year 2014 which
promises to be a momentous one for our country for several reasons,
including the fact that it is also the year of our great nation’s
centenary celebrations. I join you all in giving thanks to God Almighty
for guiding us and our beloved nation safely through all the challenges
of the outgoing year to the beginning of 2014.
Exactly 100 years
ago today, on January 1, 1914, the British Colonial authorities
amalgamated what was then the separate Protectorates of Southern Nigeria
and Northern Nigeria, giving birth to the single geopolitical entity
known as Nigeria. For us therefore, today is not just the beginning of a
new year, but the end of a century of national existence and the
beginning of another. It is a moment for sober reflection and for pride
in all that is great about Nigeria.
Whatever challenges we may
have faced, whatever storms we may have confronted and survived, Nigeria
remains a truly blessed country, a country of gifted men and women who
continue to distinguish themselves in all spheres of life, a country
whose diversity remains a source of strength. We pay tribute today, as
always to our founding fathers and mothers, and all the heroes and
heroines whose toil and sweat over the century made this country what it
is today.
As I noted, a few days ago, the amalgamation of 1914
was certainly not a mistake but a blessing. As we celebrate 100 years of
nationhood, we must resolve to continue to work together as one, united
people, to make our country even greater.
I assure you that our
administration remains fully committed to the progressive development of
our country and the consolidation of peace, unity and democratic
governance in our fatherland. Despite several continuing domestic and
global challenges, for us in Nigeria, the year 2013 witnessed many
positive developments which we will strive to build upon in 2014.
We
have diligently carried forward the purposeful and focused
implementation of our agenda for national transformation in priority
areas such as power, the rehabilitation and expansion of national
infrastructure, agricultural development, education and employment
generation.
You may recall that our 2013 Budget was on the theme,
“Fiscal Consolidation with Inclusive Growth”, and I emphasized the need
for us to “remain prudent with our fiscal resources and also ensure
that the Nigerian economy keeps growing and creating jobs”. I am pleased
to report that we have stayed focused on this goal.
Our national
budget for 2014 which is now before the National Assembly is
specifically targeted at job creation and inclusive growth. We are
keenly aware that in spite of the estimated 1.6 million new jobs created
across the country in the past 12 months as a result of our actions and
policies, more jobs are still needed to support our growing population.
Our economic priorities will be stability and equitable growth,
building on the diverse sectors of our economy.
In 2013, we
commenced implementation of the National Industrial Revolution Plan
(NIRP) aimed at industrializing Nigeria and diversifying our economy
into sectors such as agro-processing, light manufacturing, and
petrochemicals. We have also negotiated a strong Common External Tariff
(CET) agreement with our ECOWAS partners which would enable us to
protect our strategic industries where necessary.
I am pleased to
note that as a result of our backward integration policies, Nigeria has
moved from a country that produced 2 million metric tonnes of cement in
2002, to a country that now has a capacity of 28.5 million metric
tonnes. For the first time in our history, we have moved from being a
net importer of cement to a net exporter. Foreign direct investment into
Nigeria has also been strong. In fact, for the second year running, the
UN Conference on Trade and Development has named Nigeria as the number 1
destination for investments in Africa.
We are witnessing a
revolution in the agricultural sector and the results are evident. We
have tackled corruption in the input distribution system as many farmers
now obtain their fertilizers and seeds directly through an e-wallet
system. In 2013, 4.2 million farmers received subsidized inputs via this
programme. This scheme has restored dignity to our farmers.
Last
year we produced over 8 million metric tonnes of additional food; and
this year, inflation fell to its lowest level since 2008 partly due to
higher domestic food production. Our food import bill has also reduced
from N1.1 trillion in 2011, to N648 billion in 2012, placing Nigeria
firmly on the path to food self-sufficiency.
The sector is also
supporting more jobs. Last year, we produced 1.1 million metric tonnes
of dry season rice across 10 Northern states; and over 250,000 farmers
and youths in these States are now profitably engaged in farming even
during the dry season.
This Administration is also developing our
water resources which are key for both our food production and job
creation goals. In 2013, we completed the construction of nine dams
which increased the volume of our water reservoirs by 422 million cubic
metres. Through our irrigation and drainage programme, we have increased
the total irrigated area by over 31,000 hectares creating jobs for over
75,000 farming families while increasing production of over 400,000
metric tons of assorted irrigated food products.
Fellow
Compatriots, I have always believed that the single greatest thing we
can do to ensure all Nigerians realize their potential and play a full
part in our nation’s future, is to invest in education. The education of
our young people is a key priority for this Government. We take this
responsibility very seriously and I urge all other stakeholders in the
sector to recognize the national importance of their work, and to help
advance the cause of education in our nation.
Between 2007 and
2013, we have almost tripled the allocation for education from N224
billion to N634 billion – and we will continue to vigorously support the
sector. We have improved access to education in the country with the
construction of 125 Almajiri schools, and the establishment of three
additional Federal Universities in the North, bringing to twelve, the
number of universities established by this administration.
In
2013, we rehabilitated 352 laboratories and constructed 72 new libraries
in the Federal Unity Schools; and also rehabilitated laboratories of
all the 51 Federal and State polytechnics across the country.
In
the Health sector, we are building strong safety nets and improving
access to primary health care under the Saving One Million Lives
programme. In 2013, we recruited 11,300 frontline health workers who
were deployed to under-served communities across the country. Over
400,000 lives have been saved through our various interventions. We have
reached over 10,000 women and children with conditional cash transfer
programmes across 8 States and the FCT and we intend to scale up this
successful initiative.
Our national immunization coverage has
exceeded 80%. And for the first time in the history of the country there
has not been any transmission of the Type-3 Wild Polio virus for more
than one year. We have also eradicated the guinea worm that previously
affected the lives of over 800,000 Nigerians yearly. In tertiary health
care, we upgraded medical facilities across the country. Two of our
teaching hospitals – the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in
Enugu, and the University College Hospital in Ibadan – commenced open
heart surgeries this year after the installation of new facilities.
Fellow
Nigerians, I have dwelt on some of our administration’s achievements in
2013 to reassure you that we are working and results are being achieved
on the ground. As we enter our Centennial year, there is still much
work ahead. We are determined to sustain our strong macroeconomic
fundamentals, to strengthen our domestic institutions, and to invest in
priority sectors. These investments will create more jobs for our youth.
Government will at the same time, continue to scale-up investments in
safety nets and the MDGs to take care of the poor and the vulnerable so
that they too can share in our growth and prosperity.
In 2014, we
will continue to prioritize investments in key sectors such as
infrastructure development, power, roads, rail transportation and
aviation. In the past year, the Federal Government completed the
privatization of four power generation companies and 10 power
distribution companies. We are also in the process of privatizing 10
power plants under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).
We
shall boost investments in transmission to ensure power generated is
properly evacuated and distributed. In this regard, we have already
mobilized an additional $1.5 billion for the upgrade of the transmission
network in 2014 and beyond. Government will also strengthen regulation
of the sector, and closely monitor electricity delivery to increase this
beyond 18 hours per day. We will complete the privatization of the NIPP
projects, accelerate work on our gas pipeline infrastructure and also
continue to invest in hydro-electric power and clean energy as we
monitor the effects of climate change on our economy.
Our
administration believes that the cost of governance in the country is
still too high and must be further reduced. We will also take additional
steps to stem the tide of corruption and leakages. We have worked hard
to curb fraud in the administration of the pension system and the
implementation of the petroleum subsidy scheme. We have introduced a
Pensions Transition Arrangement Department under a new Director-General.
This department will now ensure that those of our pensioners still
under the old scheme receive their pensions and gratuities, and are not
subjected to fraud. Prosecution of all those involved in robbing our
retired people will continue. The Petroleum Subsidy Scheme is also now
being operated under new strict guidelines to tackle previous leakages
in the scheme and prevent fraud.
Foreign travel by government
personnel will be further curtailed. This directive shall apply to all
Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government. Our
strategy to curb leakages will increasingly rely on introducing the
right technologies such as biometrics and digitizing government
payments.
I am therefore pleased to inform you that we shall
complete the deployment of the three electronic platforms in 2014 –
namely, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated
Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) – which are all geared
towards improving efficiency and transparency in our public finances.
Through these reforms, we have already saved about N126 billion in
leaked funds and intend to save more.
To sustain Nigeria’s
ongoing agricultural transformation, we have planned further investments
in the sector. We will provide input subsidies to five million farmers
nationwide using the e-wallet system. This Administration recently
launched a self-employment initiative under the Youth Employment in
Agriculture Programme (YEAP), called the Nagropreneur programme. This
scheme would encourage our youth to go into commercial agriculture as
entrepreneurs and we plan to develop over 750,000 young Nagropreneurs by
2015.
We will also establish new agro-industrial clusters to
complement the staple crop processing zones being developed across the
country. In 2014, this Administration will continue to work with the
private sector to improve financing in the agricultural sector. For
example, we will launch the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria
(FAFIN) which will serve as a private equity fund to invest in
agri-businesses across the country.
Our Small and Medium scale
enterprises (SMEs) will be the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization.
We have about 17 million registered SMEs, and they employ over 32
million Nigerians. When our SMEs grow, more jobs will be created for our
youth. Therefore, in 2014, this Administration will focus strongly on
implementing the Nigeria Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) to
address the needs of small businesses. Our interventions will include
helping SMEs with access to affordable finance, business development
services, and youth training. In addition, our new CET policies will
enable us to support our emerging industries.
We will also
intensify our investment promotion efforts abroad, to ensure we bring
the biggest and best companies from around the world to invest in
Nigeria.
Dear Compatriots, the housing and construction industry
is a critical sector in most developed economies. When the housing
sector booms, it creates additional jobs for architects and masons, for
electricians and plumbers, for painters and interior decorators, and for
those in the cement and furniture industries.
Today, I am
pleased to inform you that this Administration is reinvigorating our
housing and construction sector. We have established the Nigeria
Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) which will increase liquidity in the
housing sector, provide a secondary market for mortgages, and thereby
increase the number of people able to purchase or build homes at an
affordable price in the country.
In 2014, we will work in a
number of pilot states where the State Governors have agreed to provide
fast-track land titles, foreclosure arrangements, and serviced plots.
This new institution will enable us to create over 200,000 mortgages
over the next five years at affordable interest rates. In addition,
those at the lower end of the economic ladder will not be left behind as
this new initiative will expand mass housing schemes through a
re-structured Federal Mortgage Bank and other institutions to provide
rent-to-own and lease-to-own options. I am confident that very soon,
many more hardworking Nigerian families will be able to realize their
dream of owning a home.
In this our centenary year, we will
continue our efforts, through the Saving One Million Lives initiative to
strengthen primary health care services. We will scale up interventions
in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, routine
immunization, HIV/AIDS, malaria elimination, tuberculosis, neglected
tropical diseases, and non-communicable diseases. We will pay greater
attention to the provision of universal health coverage. Besides the
implementation of new initiatives such as my comprehensive response plan
for HIV/AIDS, we shall continue to collaborate with global health
partners to deliver our health sector transformation agenda.
I am
glad that the issues responsible for the long-drawn ASUU strike have
been resolved and our children are returning to their campuses. We are
committed to making our tertiary institutions true centers of learning
for our young people. We will therefore focus on upgrading hostels,
laboratories, classrooms, and halls. As the 2015 deadline for the
Millennium Development Goals approaches, we will continue to expand
access to basic education for all Nigerian children. Working with State
Governments, we shall decisively tackle the problem of the large numbers
of out-of-school children in this country. We will also invest in
technical and vocational education to promote skills development for our
youth across the country.
Nigerian entrepreneurs still lack
access to affordable financing, with medium-to-long-term tenors. To
address this gap, a new wholesale development finance institution will
be established in 2014 to provide medium-to long-term financing for
Nigerian businesses. We are working with partners such as the World
Bank, the Africa Development Bank, the BNDES Bank in Brazil, and KfW in
Germany, to realize this project. Our existing Bank of Agriculture and
Bank of Industry will be re-structured as specialized institutions to
retail financing from this new wholesale development bank.
In
addition to the foregoing, our administration will also do all within
its powers to ensure the success of the forthcoming National Conference.
The report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Conference is
undergoing urgent review and the approved structure, guidelines and
modalities for the conference will soon be published as a prelude to its
commencement and expeditious conclusion.It remains our sincere hope and
expectation that the success of the national conference will further
enhance national unity, peace and cohesion as we move ahead to the 2015
general elections.
In keeping with our avowed commitment to
progressively enhancing the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process
by consistently upholding the principle of one man, one vote, our
Administration will also ensure that the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) receives all required support to ensure that it is
adequately prepared for the next general elections.
As peace and
security remain prerequisite conditions for the full realization of our
objectives, we will also do more in 2014 to further empower our security
agencies who are working in collaborative partnerships with our friends
in the international community to stem the scourge of terrorism in our
country and enhance the security of lives and property in all parts of
Nigeria. The allocation of over N600 Billion to Defence and Policing in
the 2014 Budget attests to this commitment.
Fellow compatriots,
the task of making our dear nation a much better place for present and
future generations cannot be left to government alone. I therefore urge
you all to be ready and willing to do more this year to support the
implementation of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National
Transformation in every possible way.
Let us all therefore
resolve as we celebrate the new year, and Nigeria’s Centenary, to place
the higher interests of national unity, peace, stability and progress
above all other considerations and work harder in our particular fields
of human endeavour to contribute more significantly to the attainment of
our collective aspirations. I urge all Nigerians, no matter their
stations in life, to rededicate themselves to contributing meaningfully
to further enrich our national heritage. The time for that re-dedication
is now, not tomorrow.
I wish you all a happy and rewarding 2014. God bless Nigeria. Happy New Year.
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