Vision statement ‘By 2020 Nigeria will be one of the 20 largest economies in the world able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena”.
The previous administration had declared the intention to pursue the vision of placing Nigeria among the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020 and the current administration is committed to the attainment of this vision.
Nigeria’s economic potential is well recognized. It is the biggest economy in the West African sub-region. Given the country’s considerable resource endowment and coastal location, there is potential for strong growth. Yet Nigeria has realized very little of this potential.
Previous efforts at planning and visioning were not sustained. The history of economic stagnation, declining welfare, and social instability, has undermined development for the past 30 years. But in recent years, Nigeria has been experiencing a growth turnaround and conditions seen right for launching onto a path of sustained and rapid growth, justifying its ranking among the 11 countries. These are the countries identified by Goldman Sachs to have the potential for attaining global competitiveness based on their economic, demographic settings and the foundation for reforms already laid.
Key Goals for Vision 2020
To attain this overarching goal of reaching the top 20 economies by the year 2020, the country will need to enhance her economic development performance as illustrated by the underlisted key parameters.
| Polity | By 2020 the country will be peaceful, harmonious and a stable democracy. |
| Macro-Economy | A sound, stable, and globally competitive economy with a GDP of not less than $4000 Per annum. |
| Infrastructure | Modern and vibrant education system which provides for every Nigerian the opportunity and facility to achieve his maximum potential and provides the country with adequate and competent manpower. |
| Health | A health sector that supports and sustains a life expectancy of not less than 70 years and reduces to the barest minimum the burden of infections such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and debilitating diseases. |
| Agriculture | A modern technologically enabled agricultural sector that fully exploitsTo use someone or something unfairly for your own advantage. More the vast agricultural resources of the country ensure national food security and contributes significantly to foreign exchange earnings. |
| Manufacturing | A vibrant and globally competitive manufacturing sector than contributes significantly to GDP with a manufacturing value added of not less than 40%. |
Factors That Can Aid the Vision
1. Clear Definition of the Vision: A clear definition that spells out the goals to be achieved in all the key sectors and aspects of the nation’s economic, social and political life is most essential.
2. Leadership Commitment: A national vision must be championed and passionately driven by the highest level of leadership. Belief in and commitment to the vision needs to be constantly reviewed by the Head of State, his principal lieutenants, and incorporated in every public address by the President.
3. Shared Ownership: The vision must reflect the key aspirations of all stakeholders. It is therefore imperative that the process of articulating the overall goals, key strategies should be seen to be transparently inclusive through the involvement of the broadest representation of stakeholder groups and socio-political perspectives.
4. Integrated Strategy: An integrated strategy which recognizes the interdependencies of the various facets of national life (economic, political, cultural, etc) should be in place.
5. Effective Strategic Plan and Framework: A clear logical frame and strategic plan for achieving the defined goals must be outlined and should have the following components: Purpose/Key Objectives; Outputs; Indicators; Activities/Programmes; Key assumptions and Risks.
6. Inclusive Development: There is a need to get people involved at all tiers in their own way and in a non-regimented manner with clear ownership and accountability.
These include:
* Federal ExecutiveThe executive, also referred to as the executive branch or executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law and has overall responsibility... More Council
* National Economic Council
* National AssemblyThe National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a bicameral legislature established under section 4 of the Nigerian Constitution. It consists of a Senate with 109 members and a... More/Judiciary
* Three Tiers of Government
* Public/Private sector/NGOs/Traditional Institutions/Military
7. Resources: Apart from the normal resources required to implement the plans and programmes for achieving the vision, it is also necessary to ensure that the human, financial and institutional resources required to develop the vision document and mobilize the people behind it are readily available. These would include a multidisciplinary team of resource persons with the necessary competencies to guide and coordinate the visioning process.
The key functions of the Business Support Group are to:
- General Publicity, public opinion, and national buy-in
- Mobilize Resources from the Private Sector
- Organize fundraising activities to support
- Provide Technical and Financial Support
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