BY SAM OTUONYE
The Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, has charged State Commissioners of Budget and Economic Planning to exceed federal-state boundaries and actively align their economic strategies to unlock a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
She made this known while delivering a key note address during a two-day Retreat for Honourable Commissioners, State Permanent Secretaries and State Directors of Budget and Economic Planning, themed ‘Aligning State Priorities for National Development’ held in Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.
According to her, the aim of the retreat was to intimate the stakeholders that Nigeria’s goal of achieving a $1 trillion economy was no longer a distant imaginary model for 2030, but one that requires immediate and concerted action to be taken to fully achieve it by the year 2030.
Dr Uzoka-Anite reiterated that achieving this ambitious target requires a shift from passive implementation to active leadership. She encouraged them to examine their unique economic profile against the national targets to identify and exploit their specific advantages and also align local budgets, policies, and development plans with national priorities saying this will ensure coherence and shared prosperity.
She therefore assured that the Renewed Hope Agenda provides the political will, while the incoming Medium-Term National Development Plan (2026–2030) serves as the strategic execution framework.
In her welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Deborah Odoh said that the retreat provides an opportunity and experiences that will further strengthen collaboration between the federal and state governments and also an avenue to identify practical ways of improving our processes
She continued that the success of the National Economic Council depends not only on sound policies but also on the dedication, professionalism and collaboration of all stakeholders. She therefore encouraged them to participate actively, engage openly and contribute constructively to the discussions over the course of the retreat.
In his remarks, the newly elected Community of Practise Chairman, Mr. Sonny Akporokiamo Ekedayen charged his colleagues to hit the ground running especially at this very crucial time of our nation’s development. He therefore pledged on behalf of his fellow commissioners to work for the advancement of the good of the country.
During the technical session, Prof. Ken Ife, a Resource Person presented papers on ‘Understanding National Development Priorities: The role of States’ and ‘Aligning States Development Plans with the 2026-2030 National Development Plans: State Priorities, Inputs and Implementation Strategies.
While other Directors in the Ministry presented papers on ‘Macroeconomics Outlook and Strategic Priorities for National Development; Presentation on the Process for the 2026-2030 National Development Plan and next steps amongst others.
The National Coordinator of the Nigerian Human Capacity Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity Governance (HOPE) Project, Dr. Assad Hassan presented a paper on HOPE-Governance Programme while the National Coordinator, Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons and Host Communities (SOLID) Programme, Hajia Hajara Ahmad presented a paper on the SOLID Programme.
