Emeka Obi, the permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, has reiterated the federal government’s commitment to the National Development Plan 2026-2030.

Mr Obi said this at the two-day sensitisation and consultation on the preparation of successor NDP 2026–2030 in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the government had developed a plan, Nigeria Agenda 2050.

Mr Obi said that the aspiration of that agenda is to transform the country from a low-income economy to an upper-middle-income country by the year 2050.

He said that as a UMIC, Nigeria would require a shift from laissez-faire towards more competitive and value-added production to sustain the country’s per capita income.

Mr Obi said the perspective plan acknowledged that to achieve this level of development from the current state, the government must make some bold, decisive and strategic decisions.

He said this would include reforming governance structure, inclusive and sustainable private sector-led growth through concentric diversification of the economy and empowering the people.

“Consequently, the necessary and specific strategic government interventions in different sectors,  programmes and projects through which the objectives of the long-term plan can be achieved are to be articulated over a series of 5-year Medium Term National Development Plans (MTNDP).

“MTNDP 2021-2025, MTNDP 2026-2030, MTNDP 2031-2035, MTNDP 2036-2040, MTNDP 2041-2045 and MTNDP 2046-2050,” he said.

According to him, the first plan, MTNDP 2021-2025, has nine priority areas and will elapse in December.

Mr Obi said that the plan has served as a guiding document for aligning government policies, programmes, and projects with national priorities.

He added that the success so far recorded in the implementation of the plan was attributable to the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the present regime, which collapsed the nine priority areas into eight.

Mr Obi said that it was the ministry’s responsibility to coordinate the preparation of NDPs at federal, state and local governments and has initiated preliminary steps for the preparation of the successor plan, the NDP 2026–2030.

The permanent secretary said the sensitisation workshop has been convened to ensure that MDAs are fully briefed, equipped, and aligned with the goals and methodology of the new plan.

“This exercise is in fulfilment that we will continue to build capacity for planning officers as we continue to work together to develop a new national development plan for Nigeria,” Mr Obi said.

(NAN)