Buhari hints on shift from oil as main source of revenue
http://www.gatewaymail.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Ministers-designate-at-the-two-day-retreat-in-Abuja..jpg
NIGERIA: PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has hinted of his administration‘s determination to shift focus from oil as the main source of revenue generation.
The president said that efforts would be made to shift direction towards the mining and agriculture sectors as alternate sources of revenue for the country apparently in view of the dwindling and unstable income from the oil sector.
He spoke on Thursday at the two-day retreat for the ministers-designate held at the State House Conference Hall, Abuja.
The retreat was designed to familiarise the ministers-designate to governance before their assumption of office.
“Diversification of the economy away from oil will be a major focus of this government,” Buhari said. “We will intervene in mining and agriculture and upgrade the country’s physical and social infrastructure, which will broaden our revenue base and significantly improve the level of employment, especially among the youth.”
He stressed: “Our economic focus will be policies that will ensure inclusive growth and we will count our achievements based on the number of Nigerians we move out of poverty.”
The president told his cabinet members that they should count themselves privileged “to have been chosen among millions of our compatriots at this historic time to be the instruments that will deliver the change we have promised.”
“Let me congratulate you for your success at the various levels of screening that culminated in your confirmation by the Senate,” he said.
The president told the ministers-designate that they are the vehicles that would administer the change he promised Nigerians.
“You are coming on board the ship of governance at an interesting time. So much has been said about the state of our economy,” he said, adding: “It is expected that we make the running of Government at all levels as lean as possible, avoid waste and conserve resources.”
“As Ministers, you must be the vehicle that will administer the change,” the president charged them.
According to him, the task before him and the cabinet members “is to turn our manifesto promises to practice and results.”
“Over the next two days I expect you to have a better understanding of the context in which we have taken the challenge of serving our country, as well as the strategies we have adopted to tackle them,” he said.
The president stressed: “I would also expect you to be even more determined to work as a team, and to live up to the high standards of probity and integrity which Nigerians expect of us.”
