M y compatriots: It is one year today since our administration came into
office. It has been a year of triumph, consolidation, pains and
achievements. By age, instinct and experience, my preference is to look
forward, to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead and rededicate the
administration to the task of fixing Nigeria. But I believe we can also learn from
the obstacles we have overcome and the progress we made thus far, to help
strengthen the plans that we have in place to put Nigeria back on the path of
progress.
We affirm our belief in democracy as the form of government that best assures
the active participation and actual benefit of the people. Despite the many years
of hardship and disappointment, the people of this nation have proved
inherently good, industrious tolerant, patient and generous.
The past years have witnessed huge flows of oil revenues. From 2010 average
oil prices were $100 per barrel. But economic and security conditions were
deteriorating. We campaigned and won the election on the platform of restoring
security, tackling corruption and restructuring the economy. On our arrival, the
oil price had collapsed to as low as $30 per barrel, and we found nothing had
been kept for the rainy day. Oil prices have been declining since 2014 but due
to the neglect of the past, the country was not equipped to halt the economy
from declining.
The infrastructure, notably rail, power, roads were in a decrepit state. All the
four refineries were in a state of disrepair, the pipelines and depots neglected.
Huge debts owed to contractors and suppliers had accumulated. Twenty-seven
states could not pay salaries for months. In the north-east, Boko Haram had
captured 14 local governments, driven the local authorities out, hoisted their
flags. Elsewhere, insecurity was palpable; corruption and impunity were the
order of the day. In short, we inherited a state near collapse.
On the economic front, all oil-dependent countries, Nigeria included, have been
struggling since the drop in prices. Many oil rich states have had to take tough
decisions similar to what we are doing. The world, Nigeria included has been
dealing with the effects of three significant and simultaneous global shocks
starting in 2014:
1. A 70% drop in oil prices.
2. Global growth slowdown.
3. Normalization of monetary policy by the United States federal reserve.
Our problems as a government are like that of a farmer who in a good season
harvests ten bags of produce. The proceeds enable him to get by for rest of the
year. However, this year he could only manage 3 bags from his farm. He must
now think of other ways to make ends meet.
From day one, we purposely set out to correct our condition, to change Nigeria.
We reinforced and galvanized our armed forces with new leadership and
resources. We marshaled our neighbours in a joint task force to tackle and
defeat Boko Haram. By the end of December 2015, all but pockets and
remnants had been routed by our gallant armed forces. Our immediate focus is
for a gradual and safe return of internally displaced persons in safety and
dignity and for the resumption of normalcy in the lives of people living in these
areas.
EFCC was given the freedom to pursue corrupt officials, and the judiciary was
alerted on what Nigerians expect of them in the fight against corruption. On the
economy, in particular, foreign exchange and fuel shortages, our plan is to save
foreign exchange by fast tracking repair of the refineries and producing most of
our fuel requirements at home. And by growing more food in Nigeria, mainly
rice, wheat and sugar, we will save billions of dollars in foreign exchange and
drastically reduce our food import bill.
We resolved to keep the Naira steady, as in the past, devaluation had done
dreadful harm to the Nigerian economy. Furthermore, I supported the monetary
authority’s decision to ensure alignment between monetary policy and fiscal
policy. We shall keep a close look on how the recent measures affect the Naira
and the economy. But we cannot get away from the fact that a strong currency
is predicated on a strong economy. And a strong economy pre-supposes an
industrial productive base and a steady export market. The measures we must
take, may lead to hardships. The problems Nigerians have faced over the last
year have been many and varied. But the real challenge for this government has
been reconstructing the spine of the Nigerian state. The last twelve months
have been spent collaborating with all arms of government to revive our
institutions so that they are more efficient and fit for purpose:
· That means a bureaucracy better able to develop and deliver policy
· That means an independent judiciary, above suspicion and able to defend
citizen’s rights and dispense justice equitably.
· That means a legislature that actually legislates effectively and
· Above all; that means political parties and politicians committed to serving the
Nigerian people rather than themselves.
These are the pillars of the state on which democracy can take root and thrive.
But only if they are strong and incorruptible. Accordingly, we are working very
hard to introduce some vital structural reforms in the way we conduct
government business and lay a solid foundation on which we can build enduring
change.
An important first step has been to get our housekeeping right. So we have
reduced the extravagant spending of the past. We started boldly with the single
treasury account, stopping the leakages in public expenditure.
We then identified forty-three thousand ghost workers through the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information system. That represents pay packets totalling
N4.2 billion stolen every month. In addition, we will save Twenty-Three Billion
Naira per annum from official travelling and sitting allowances alone.
Furthermore, the efficiency unit will cut costs and eliminate duplications in
ministries and departments. Every little saving helps. The reduction in the
number of ministries and work on restructuring and rationalization of the MDAs
is well underway. When this work is complete, we will have a leaner, more
efficient public service that is fit for the purpose of changing Nigeria for the
good and for good.
As well as making savings, we have changed the way public money is spent. In
all my years as a public servant, I have never come across the practice of
padding budgets. I am glad to tell you now we not only have a budget but
more importantly, we have a budget process that is more transparent, more
inclusive and more closely tied to our development priorities than in the recent
past. 30% of the expenditure in this budget is devoted to capital items.
Furthermore, we are projecting non-oil revenues to surpass proceeds from oil.
Some critics have described the budget exercise as clumsy. Perhaps. But it was
an example of consensus building, which is integral to democratic government.
In the end, we resolved our differences.
We have, therefore, delivered significant milestones on security, corruption, and
the economy. In respect of the economy, I would like to directly address you on
the very painful but inevitable decisions we had to make in the last few weeks
specifically on the pump price of fuel and the more flexible exchange rate policy
announced by the central bank. It is even more painful for me that a major
producer of crude oil with four refineries that once exported refined products is
today having to import all of its domestic needs. This is what corruption and
mismanagement has done to us, and that is why we must fight these ills.
As part of the foundation of the new economy, we have had to reform how fuel
prices had traditionally been fixed. This step was taken only after protracted
consideration of its pros and cons. After a comprehensive investigation, my
advisers and I concluded that the mechanism was unsustainable.
We are also engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in
different jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be tedious and time-
consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: a significant amount of assets
have been recovered. A considerable portion of these are at different stages of
recovery. The Ministry of Information will now publish full details of the status
and categories of the assets and update periodically. When forfeiture formalities
are completed these monies will be credited to the treasury and be openly and
transparently used in funding developmental projects and the public will be
informed.
On the Niger Delta, we are committed to implementing the United Nations
Environment Programme report and are advancing clean-up operations. I
believe the way forward is to take a sustainable approach to address the issues
that affect the Delta communities. Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is
an example of this. The recent spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and
power installations will not distract us from engaging leaders in the region in
addressing Niger Delta problems. If the militants and vandals are testing our
resolve, they are much mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their
sponsors and bring them to justice.
The policy measures and actions taken so far are not to be seen as some
experiment in governance. We are fully aware that those vested interests who
have held Nigeria back for so long will not give up without a fight. They will
sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms at home and abroad, incite the
public in an effort to create chaos rather than relinquish the vice-like grip they
have held on Nigeria.
The economic misfortune we are experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices
has provided us with an opportunity to restructure our economy and diversify.
We are in the process of promoting agriculture, livestock, exploiting our solid
mineral resources and expanding our industrial and manufacturing base. That
way, we will import less and make the social investments necessary to allow us
to produce a large and skilled workforce.
Central Bank of Nigeria will offer more fiscal incentives for business that prove
capable of manufacturing products that are internationally competitive. We
remain committed to reforming the regulatory framework, for investors by
improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the first steps along the path of self-sufficiency in rice, wheat and
sugar – big users of our scarce foreign exchange – have been taken. The
Labour Intensive Farming Enterprise will boost the economy and ensure
inclusive growth in long-neglected communities. Special intervention funds
through the Bank of Agriculture will provide targeted support. Concerns remain
about rising cost of foods such as maize, rice, millet, beans, and garri. Farmers
tell me that they are worried about the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and the
absence of extension services. The federal and state governments are on the
same page in tackling these hurdles in our efforts at increased food production
and ultimately food security.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the
increasing role that our women are playing in revitalizing the agricultural sector.
Modern farming is still hard and heavy work, and I salute our Nigerian women in
sharing this burden. In this respect, I am very pleased to announce that the
government will shortly be launching the national women’s empowerment fund,
which I have approved to provide N1.6 billion in micro-finance loans to women
across the nation to assist in rehabilitating the economies of rural communities,
particularly those impacted by the insurgency and conflict.
With respect to solid minerals, the minister has produced a roadmap where we
will work closely with the world bank and major international investors to ensure
through best practices and due diligence that we choose the right partners.
Illegal mining remains a problem and we have set up a special security team to
protect our assets. Special measures will be in place to protect miners in their
work environment.
For too long, ours has been a society that neglects the poor and victimizes the
weak. A society that promotes profit and growth over development and freedom.
A society that fails to recognize that, to quote the distinguished economist
Amartya Sen “ poverty is not just lack of money. It is not having the capability
to realize one’s full potential as a human being.”
So, today, I am happy to formally launch, by far the most ambitious social
protection programme in our history. A programme that both seeks to start the
process of lifting many from poverty, while at the same time creating the
opportunity for people to fend for themselves. In this regard, Five Hundred
Billion Naira has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for social intervention
programmes in five key areas. We are committed to providing job creation
opportunities for five hundred thousand teachers and one hundred thousand
artisans across the nation. 5.5 million children are to be provided with nutritious
meals through our school feeding programme to improve learning outcomes, as
well as enrolment and completion rates. The conditional cash transfer scheme
will provide financial support for up to one million vulnerable beneficiaries, and
complement the enterprise programme – which will target up to one million
market women; four hundred and sixty thousand artisans; and two hundred
thousand agricultural workers, nationwide. Finally, through the education grant
scheme, we will encourage students studying sciences, technology, engineering
and maths, and lay a foundation for human capital development for the next
generation
I would like to pay a special tribute to our gallant men and women of the armed
forces who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can live and go about our
business in safety. Their work is almost done. The nation owes them a debt of
gratitude.
Abroad, we want to assure our neighbours, friends and development partners
that Nigeria is firmly committed to democratic principles. We are ready partners
in combating terrorism, cyber crimes, control of communicable diseases and
protection of the environment. Following on the Paris Agreement, COP 21, we
are fully committed to halting and reversing desertification. Elsewhere, we will
intensify efforts to tackle erosion, ocean surge, flooding and oil spillage which I
referred to earlier by implementing the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) report.
We are grateful to the international community notably France, the US, UK and
China for their quick response in helping to tackle the recent Ebola outbreak in
our sub-region. We also acknowledge the humanity shown by the Italian and
German governments in the treatment of boat people, many fleeing from our
sub-region because of lack of economic opportunity. We thank all our partners
especially several countries in the EU.
We appreciate the valuable work that the UN agencies, particularly UNICEF,
ICRC, the World Food Program have been doing. We must also appreciate the
World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Global Fund and Educate A Child of
Qatar for the excellent work in our health, education and other sectors.
Fellow citizens let me end on a happy note. To the delight of all, two of the
abducted Chibok girls have regained their freedom. During the last one year, not
a single day passed without my agonizing about these girls. Our efforts have
centred around negotiations to free them safely from their mindless captors. We
are still pursuing that course. Their safety is of paramount concern to me and I
am sure to most Nigerians. I am very worried about the conditions those still
captured might be in. Today I re-affirm our commitment to rescuing our girls.
We will never stop until we bring them home safely. As I said before, no girl
should be put through the brutality of forced marriage and every Nigerian girl
has the right to an education and a life choice.
I thank you and appeal to you to continue supporting the government’s efforts
to fix Nigeria.

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