reproduced - unedited
Fellow Nigerians,
1.
The 2020 celebration of Democracy Day marks 21 years of uninterrupted
civil administration in our dear country. This day provides us an opportunity
to reflect on our journey as a nation, our achievements and struggles.
2.
It is a day to honour our founding fathers who toiled to establish our
republic and every Nigerian who has worked tirelessly to sustain it.
3.
We are celebrating this year’s Democracy Day despite the COVID-19
pandemic which afflicts our nation and the whole world.
4.
It is indeed a very difficult time for everyone especially those who have
lost loved ones to the virus and those whose sources of livelihood have been
severely constrained by the stringent measures we introduced at every level of
government to contain the virus and save lives.
5.
The dedication of our health and other essential services staff towards
containing this virus is a testament of our courage and resilience as a people
and as a great nation, and I use this opportunity to say thank you to all of
you for your service to the nation.
6.
Sustaining our democracy thus far has been a collective struggle, and I
congratulate all Nigerians and particularly leaders of our democratic
institutions on their resilience and determination to ensure that Nigeria
remains a shining example of democracy.
7.
In my 2019 Democracy Day address, I promised to frontally address the
nation’s daunting challenges, especially insecurity, economy and corruption. I
therefore find it necessary to give an account of my stewardship on this day.
8.
We have recorded notable achievements in the course of implementing our
nine priority objectives and are establishing a solid foundation for future
success.
9.
On the economic front, our objectives have remained to stabilize the
macroeconomy, achieve agricultural and food security, ensure energy sufficiency
in power and petroleum products, develop infrastructure, fight corruption and
improve governance.
10.
We have witnessed eleven quarters of consecutive
GDP growth since exiting recession. The GDP grew from 1.91% in 2018 to 2.27% in
2019 but declined to 1.87% in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the
decline in global economic activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
11.
Every single economy in the world has suffered a
decline. Ours has been relatively moderate.
12.
In order to stabilize the economy, the Monetary
Authority took steps to build the external reserves which resulted in improved
liquidity in the foreign exchange market. The external reserves grew from
$33.42 billion on April 29th 2020 to about $36.00 billion in May, 2020 which is
enough to finance seven months of import commitments.
13.
Agriculture remains the key to our economic
diversification strategy. The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative programme
continues to deliver significant quantities of affordable and high-quality
fertilizers to our farmers. This initiative has also revived 31 blending plants
and created a significant number of direct and indirect jobs across the value
chain.
14.
Government is also revamping the cotton, textile
and garment sector via a CBN Textile Revival Intervention Fund that would
considerably reduce foreign exchange spent on cotton and other textile imports.
15.
Through the food security initiative, we are
promoting “Grow What We Eat” and “Eat What We Grow”. I am also delighted that
more and more Nigerians are taking advantage of the opportunities in the agriculture
and agri-business sector. I assure you that government will continue to support
the Agriculture sector through the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme and similar
schemes.
16.
To protect our farming investments, we have
deployed 5,000 Agro-Rangers and employed 30,289 in our para-military agencies.
17.
We are also integrating rural communities to the
formal economy by extending access to credit and inputs to rural farmers and
building feeder roads.
18.
Our efforts on growing non-oil exports have started
to yield some results. For instance, in the past year, our revenue from Cocoa
and Sesame Seed increased by $79.4 million and $153 million.
19.
Africa presents a huge opportunity for our export
base diversification and we are developing our strategy to grow intra-Africa
trade through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
20.
Nigeria has risen by 25 places on the World Bank’s
Ease of Doing Business ranking from 146th to 131st and is now rated as one of
the top ten reforming countries.
21.
This development is due to the Visa on Arrival
policy, consistent promotion of initiatives that expand facilities available to
Micro Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, robust electronic registration and
payment system, seamless processing of business registration and reduction of
cost of registering business by 50%. We are confident that on-going efforts would
result in further improvement of this rating.
22.
We remain committed to expanding our mining sector.
To this end, I have directed the resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant
based on Government-to-Government financing and a Public-Private Sector
financing.
23.
With foreign and domestic investments and the
participation of Small Scale Miners, we are harnessing the supply value chain
in gold production.
24.
We would also be launching a fully digitized
mineral rights management platform for quick processing of mineral rights
application, digitization of records and plugging revenue leakages.
25.
The Power Sector remains very critical to meeting
our industrial development aspirations and we are tackling the challenges that
still exist in the delivery of power through different strategies.
26.
We are executing some critical projects through the
Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion Programme including the:
a.
Alaoji to Onitsha, Delta Power Station to Benin and Kaduna to Kano;
b.
330kv DC 62km line between Birnin Kebbi and Kamba;
c.
Lagos/Ogun Transmission Infrastructure Project;
d.
Abuja Transmission Ring Scheme; and
e.
Northern Corridor Transmission Project.
27.
Our agreement with Siemens will transmit and
distribute a total of 11,000 Megawatts by 2023, to serve our electricity needs.
28.
On transportation, another critical sector to
improving our economic competitiveness, we are growing the stock and quality of
our road, rail, air and water transport infrastructure.
29.
Through the SUKUK-Funded Road Projects, a total of
412km of the targeted 643km road projects have been completed, representing
64%.
30.
The Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund
projects are also progressing very well. On the 2nd Niger Bridge, piling work
has been completed and the approach roads are being constructed. 48% of work on
this bridge has been achieved. We have constructed 102km of the 376km Abuja –
Kaduna – Kano Road, representing 38%, and the 42.9km Obajana – Kabba Road is
87.03% complete.
31.
Furthermore, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency
has completed routine maintenance on over 4,000km of federal roads out of the
5,000km targeted.
32.
We are extending and upgrading our railway network
too. We are introducing more locomotives, coaches and wagons for the
Abuja-Kaduna Rail Line. The Central Ajaokuta – Itakpe - Warri Line has been
completed and is being extended from Itakpe to Abuja on one end and from Warri
Town to Warri Port on the other.
33.
The Lagos-Ibadan Rail Line is 90% completed and
would be extended to the Lagos Port which would help address the long-standing
grid-lock at the Apapa port.
34.
The Kano – Maradi Single Track Standard Gauge
Railway, Coastal Railway Project and Port Harcourt – Maiduguri Standard Gauge
Railway, with its associated branch lines running through the South Eastern and
Gombe States, industrial park and Bonny Deep Sea Port are all ready for
concessioning.
35.
Government continues to make investments in the
Aviation sector to position it as a travel and trade hub in West Africa and the
wider African continent.
36.
Airport Terminals in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port
Harcourt are being expanded, while the rehabilitation of the Enugu Airport is
almost completed. All our airports are being raised to international standards
with the provision of necessary equipment, especially navigational aids, to
guarantee world class safety standards.
37.
For the first time in over ten years, Nigeria is
conducting bidding process for 57 Marginal Oil Fields to increase revenue and
increase the participation of Nigerian companies in oil and exploration and
production business.
38.
We continue to grow local content in other areas of
the oil and gas sector with the disbursement of funds from the $200 million
Nigerian Content Intervention Fund to indigenous manufacturers and service
providers.
39.
With sustained engagement of youths, opinion
leaders and other stakeholders, we have restored peace in the Niger Delta
Region and maintained our oil production levels.
40.
The Head office of the Niger Delta Development
Commission will be commissioned shortly. The Funding of sections I–IV of the
East-West Road shall be pursued with a view to completing the project by the
end of 2021.
41.
Furthermore, I am determined to ensure that
development meant for the people of the Niger Delta get to them so I have
authorised a Forensic Audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
42.
Digital Economy continues to play an important role
in our development agenda as we move into the age of Artificial Intelligence.
43.
Since the creation of the Ministry of Communication
and Digital Economy, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy has been
launched. Steps have been taken to achieve a reduction of connectivity cluster
gaps from 207 to 114 as well as increase the level of 4G coverage by 30%.
44.
Nigeria remains committed to expanding access to
quality education to enhance the productivity of its citizens and would
continue to pursue the enforcement of free and compulsory basic education for
the first 9 years of schooling.
45.
In pursuit of this, we have launched the Better
Education Service Delivery for All in 17 states, established additional 6
Federal Science and Technical Colleges and currently executing a pro-active
Teacher Training Plan with all states of the Federation.
46.
In our revision of the operations of specialized
education funds and to implement reforms that would optimize their benefits to
the sector, we have adopted a Public-Private Sector Partnership for provision
of infrastructure and also collaborate with the private sector to create
jobs.
47.
Our pursuit of affordable housing for the low and
middle-income earners has received a boost with the delivery of 1,200 housing
units, provision of 520 service plots with infrastructure through a Public
Private Sector partnership and the issuance of 868 mortgages totaling N7.7
Billion. Similarly, Home Renovation Loans totaling N16.2 Billion have been
granted to 19,210 people.
48.
To enable sustainable access to safe and sufficient
water to meet the social, cultural, environmental and economic development
needs of all Nigerians, we continue to expand our water supply, irrigation and
dam facilities.
49.
The Completion of Amauzari, Amla Otukpo and other
42 Earth Dams with combined job creation of about 43,354 direct jobs and 71,172
indirect jobs, would provide more support for irrigation agriculture and water
supply.
50.
To further institutionalize our effort in this
regard, I signed the Executive Order 009 on Ending Open Defecation in
Nigeria.
51.
In order to improve our forest cover and in
fulfilment of my commitment at the 74th Session of the United Nations General
Assembly in 2019, we have commenced the planting of 25 million trees. This
initiative will also contribute to our effort to mitigate the effect of climate
change.
52.
In the area of security, we remain unshaken in our
resolve to protect our national infrastructure including on-shore and off-shore
oil installations, secure our territorial waters and end piracy in the Gulf of
Guinea.
53.
Ending insurgency, banditry and other forms of
criminality across the nation is being accorded appropriate priorities and the
men and women of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have considerably downgraded such
threats across all geo-political zones.
54.
All the Local Governments that were taken over by
the Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa have long been recovered
and are now occupied by indigenes of these areas who were hitherto forced to
seek a living in areas far from their ancestral homes.
55.
The total collapse of the economies of these areas,
which constituted a threat to our food security, has also been reversed with
the gradual recovery of farming and other economic activities.
56.
I regret recent sporadic incidents with tragic loss
of lives in Katsina and Borno States as a result of criminals taking advantage
of COVID-19 restrictions. Security Agencies will pursue the perpetrators and
bring them to swift justice.
57.
I must implore state and local governments to
revamp their intelligence assets so that the Security Agencies can nip in the
bud any planned attacks in remote rural areas. I send my heartfelt condolences
to all the relatives and communities affected.
58.
As part of the strengthening of our internal
security architecture, the Ministry of Police Affairs was created.
59.
Amongst others, Government has expanded the
National Command and Control Centre to nineteen states of the federation,
resuscitated the National Public Security Communication System and commenced
the implementation of the Community Policing Strategy.
60.
Government has similarly established a Nigerian
Police Trust Fund as a public-private sector vehicle for alternative sources of
funding security activities.
61.
To reduce security challenges through our external
borders especially smuggling of oil products out of the country, inflow of
small arms and drugs into the country and equally protect our local
manufacturers, we introduced operation “Ex-Swift Response” closing our borders
from August 20th 2019, and have considerably succeeded in meeting its
objectives as well as improving our national revenue.
62.
Our Government has continued to work to reduce
social and economic inequality through targeted social investment programmes,
education, technology and improved information.
63.
Our Social Investment Programme has continued to be
a model to other nations and has engaged 549,500 N-Power beneficiaries, 408,682
beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 2,238,334
beneficiaries of the Growth Enhancement and Empowerment Programme. This is
being done in collaboration with the States.
64.
Similarly, “Marketmoni” and “Tradermoni” Programmes
have provided affordable loans to small and micro scale enterprises to grow
their businesses. Under the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, over
9,963,729 children are being fed to keep them in school and improve their
nutritional status.
65.
Fellow Nigerians, the year 2020 has been like none
other. In January 2020, the COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic by the
World Health Organization. The number of global infections has risen from less
than 8,000 shared between China and eighteen other countries to over 7million
spread over 216 countries and on all continents.
66.
Nigeria recorded its first case of COVID-19 on
February 27th 2020 and within the first 100 days, I have had cause to address
the nation on three occasions within one month, which underscores the gravity
of this pandemic.
67.
There is no doubt that this pandemic has affected
the global economy and all known socio-economic systems. It has also brought
grief and pain to families that have lost their loved ones. Like many
Nigerians, I feel the grief and pain not only as your President but also as
someone who has lost a close member of my staff and some relatives and friends.
68.
In order to have a robust National response, I
approved a Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to provide guidance and
leadership in tackling the pandemic nationwide.
69.
State Governments also constituted their own
COVID-19 Task Forces. Complementing this was the establishment of a
National Emergency Operations Centre responsible for providing technical and
professional guidance in the National Response.
70.
The overall objective of the PTF COVID-19 is to
ensure that the pandemic does not overwhelm our health systems, while ensuring
that we maintain an effective Case Management System to help in containing the
spread of the virus.
71.
The impact of the pandemic has disrupted our
economic system and to ensure its functioning while still addressing the
spread, the Federal Government put in place a number of various
non-pharmaceutical measures to slow down the spread of the virus, in addition
to a progressive re-opening of the economy.
72.
As part of the strategy to create jobs in reducing
the effect of COVID-19 on our youths, I directed the employment of 774, 000
Nigerians. These youths will be engaged in Special Public Works Programme aimed
at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. Each of the 774 local
government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots. I am pleased to
report that this programme has commenced.
73.
I receive regular briefing from the PTF on
COVID-19. I note that the National Response relies on Science, Data and
Experience in taking decisions. This informed my approval for the ease of lock
down phase to ensure a balance between lives and livelihoods.
74.
I am confident that the steps being taken by the
PTF would result in flattening the COVID-19 curve. I, therefore, implore all
Nigerians to abide by the approved guidelines and protocols. There is hope for
us all if we take individual and collective responsibility.
75.
Government is determined to turn this COVID-19
challenge into a motivation to action by building a nation-wide public health
care system that will help us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare for
any future outbreak.
76.
Already, we have begun to look inward and I charge
our inventors, researchers and scientists to come up with solutions to cure
COVID-19.
77.
Government has continued to implement
accountability and transparent policies through the Open Government Partnership
and the transparency portal on financial transactions. Similarly, we have
strengthened auditing and accountability mechanisms so as to ensure that rules
and regulations are followed strictly.
78.
Anti-Corruption Agencies have secured more than
1,400 convictions and also recovered funds in excess of N800 billion. These
monies are being ploughed into development and infrastructure projects.
79.
The Public Service of Nigeria remains the bedrock
for the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and projects in
the country. This accounts for why it continues to evolve especially as new
socio-economic challenges emerge for Government to address.
80.
I will continue to give all the necessary support
for the on-going reforms designed to return discipline, integrity and
patriotism as the hallmark of the public service.
81.
In the face of dwindling resources and rising cost
of governance, I have authorized that the White Paper on the Rationalisation of
Government Parastatals and Agencies be reviewed for implementation.
82.
Our youth population remains a source of strength
in achieving development objectives. In this regard, we would continue to
concentrate in developing their skills, providing them with opportunities to
express their entrepreneurial, research and industrial capacities as well as
ample opportunity to take leadership positions in the service of the nation.
83.
The commitment of this Administration to the
well-being of people living with disabilities remains unwavering. Government
recognises their contributions to development. I have directed that all
relevant Government agencies pay special attention to the peculiarities of
persons with disabilities in the formulation and implementation of their
policies and programmes, and where suitable their employment.
84.
Nigerian women remain a particular treasure to this
nation and for this reason this Administration has continued to give them a
place of pride in the affairs of our country.
85.
I salute your courage, enterprise and resilience as
well as your contributions to national development. I wish to assure all our women
of this administration’s determination to fight Gender Based Violence through
the instrumentality of the law and awareness creation. I am particularly upset
at recent incidents of rape especially of very young girls. The Police are
pursuing these cases with a view to bringing perpetrators of these heinous
crimes to swift justice.
86.
Government continues to recognize and harness
the power of the media for positive development. The reforms of the broadcast
and advertising industries including digital switch over and continuous
engagement through town hall meetings remain central to accurate and credible
information dissemination.
87.
Our culture provides the basis for our existence as
a people and a nation. In preserving iconic aspects of our national culture,
this government has been pursuing the recovery of artefacts removed from
Nigeria, promoting heritage sites and festivals and working towards designating
some of our heritage sites as UNESCO World Heritage Centres.
88.
This administration is focused on ensuring that
Nigeria would always be governed by the Rule of Law and I would do my utmost to
uphold the constitution and protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.
89.
Government has initiated a number of policies and
programmes designed to promote the legal rights of Nigerians, facilitate the
institutionalization of a responsive legal system, provide support to all
constituted bodies in implementing their mandates and improve our custodial system
of justice.
90.
The National Assembly has been an important partner
in our quest to sustain our democracy and achieve our development objectives.
91.
I therefore greatly thank the leadership and
members of the Senate and the House of Representatives for their invaluable
support at all times.
92.
I will also like to convey our deep appreciation to
members of the Press for your doggedness in the struggle for attainment of
democracy since the beginning of our nationhood.
93.
I must admit that the relationship between
the media and successive governments has not always been perfect. But there is
no denying the fact that you have been an effective watchdog for the society
especially in holding public officers to account. It is sad that in the course
of securing our democracy, some of your colleagues have had to pay a heavy
price.
94.
We will continue to guarantee freedom of the Press
as we place high premium on responsible journalism that is devoid of hate
speech, fake news and other unethical professional conduct.
95.
Fellow Nigerians, as we celebrate this year’s
Democracy Day, let us remember that, notwithstanding our aspirations, humanity
and indeed democracy is under the threat of COVID-19. Nigeria has survived many
crises before and came out stronger. I am confident that by God’s grace we
shall overcome this one and emerge stronger and more purposeful.
96.
Thank you for listening. God bless the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
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