Keynote Address by

HIS EXCELLENCY OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

On the Occasion of the Formal Launching of the Nationwide

Stakeholder Consultations on the NEEDS

Abuja, March 15, 2004

 

 

PROTOCOL

 

Let me join earlier speakers in welcoming you all to this very important event, which marks the beginning of a six-week intensive final nation-wide consultation on the draft National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) document. A few months ago, I constituted a 35- member NEEDS Drafting Committee, led by the Economic Adviser, and comprising representatives of ministries and agencies within

government, as well as representatives of the private sector, labour, and civil society. The goal then was to produce a nationally owned strategy for poverty reduction, wealth creation and employment generation. I am delighted to note that this draft NEEDS document is the product of a participatory process involving all sectors of society including relevant committees of the national assembly as well as members of the Economic

Team. It is even more noteworthy that it is now being presented to all Nigerians for further refinement. I want to commend the members of the Drafting Committee and all those who have made inputs to the document.

 

The value of any strategy rests largely on the degree of legitimacy and ownership built around it by the people. Such ownership and legitimacy can only emanate from the direct participation of the people in conceptualizing, analyzing, articulating, refining, and digesting the various dimensions of the strategy. This nation-wide consultation that is being flagged-off today is designed to ensure that all Nigerians are given the opportunity to participate in the drafting of the plan that will affect their lives. Though the Drafting Committee includes major stakeholders drawn from the public and private sectors, it is still important to take the document to the grassroots. This is the only way to ensure sustainability, monitoring, and control. After all, it is their lives, communities, and environment that are being planned and it would definitely have an impact on every Nigerian. Let me note that this will be the first time in Nigeria that the generality of Nigerians will be involved in planning their future. This is one of the hallmarks of democracy--- consultation and participation of the people in decision making --- which this administration has been promoting since 1999.

 

Contrary to the practice of the past planning programmes, which were largely elitist, NEEDS must be a plan by Nigerians, derived from the country's experiences and aspirations, and targeted at solving Nigeria's problems. I understand that some of our international development partners had wanted to have the NEEDS document before now but we have insisted that in order to preserve our ownership of the process and content of NEEDS, it will be made available to all stakeholders at the same time. Following this ceremony therefore, the NEEDS document will be available to all Nigerians and our development partners--- to make contributions. Zonal consultation workshops are planned in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country as well as with major organizations/groups --- labour, organized private sector, civil society, NGOs, academia, the Press, etc. I invite all Nigerians, institutions, associations, and stakeholders to carefully read through the document, participate at the consultation workshops, and send their comments and suggestions to the Drafting Committee.

 

As you are aware, NEEDS is Nigeria’s home-grown poverty reduction and socio-economic development strategy. It is a medium term strategy (2003- 07) which is an outgrowth from the country's long-term goals of poverty reduction, wealth creation, employment generation and value re-orientation. NEEDS is a nationally coordinated framework of action in close collaboration with the State governments with their State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (SEEDS). It is also a strategy for mobilising other stakeholders to consolidate on the achievements of the last four years (1999- 2003) and build a solid foundation for the attainment of Nigeria's long-term vision of becoming the largest and strongest African economy and a key player in the world economy.

 

NEEDS is based on a clear vision, sound values and enduring principles. It is about the Nigerian people--- their welfare, their health, education, employment, security, participation and empowerment. The various state governments are also making progress in the preparation of their necessary complements to NEEDS. Zonal training workshops are ongoing to assist states in the development of the SEEDS.

                                                                                                                                           It is hoped that with NEEDS and SEEDS, a new dawn of planning that emphasizes inclusion, dialogue, consultation, coordination, and popular participation will emerge in Nigeria.

 

With effective implementation--- which the government has strongly committed to--- Nigeria will undoubtedly be great again.

 

I am aware of the cynicism of many Nigerians regarding the necessity for a new plan. There is now an ingrained attitude of  "we don hear am before." I want to assure you that NEEDS is not just another plan on paper. It is an action plan that is now the basis for budgeting and resource allocation. As you read the document, you will notice several distinguishing features of NEEDS. In both its process and content, NEEDS is fundamentally different. On process, this would be the first plan in Nigeria that benefits from a nation-wide participatory process. It will also be the first time that both the state governments (under SEEDS) and the federal government (under NEEDS) are coordinating a planning framework with agreed common priorities to agriculture, SMEs, infrastructure, public finance/public sector

reforms and emphasis on the social sectors. This coordination is new, and will ensure synergies and complementarities.

 

In the past, there has been a wrong emphasis on activities of the federal government which receives 50% of the total revenue of the federation.

 

On content, NEEDS is also different. It is a reform-based strategy unlike the conventional plans. Its thrust is clear and focused, that is, empowerment, wealth creation and poverty reduction, and not just economic growth that trickles down: While we will continue to strengthen our growth centers, we want to adopt a bottom-up approach that will mobilise the populace and empower them to reach the highest points of their creative and productive capacities. The targets and action plans are realistic and properly aligned to the resource base and projected mobilization. NEEDS avoids the past mistakes of setting unrealistic targets without adequate consideration of the

resource constraints. Let me emphasise the fact that NEEDS will be almost entirely based on the mobilization of internal resources without prejudice to our commitment to establishing a conducive environment for attracting direct foreign investment and working with our development partners.

 

The implementation Strategy is also better articulated. There is a broad base monitoring framework involving the federal, states and local governments, including the private sector and the civil society. A peer review mechanism will also facilitate effective implementation.  The previous Rolling Plans concentrated on ill-articulated large portfolio of projects that were hardly implemented. Under NEEDS, projects are dealt with at the sector levels. Also, for the first time and as a necessary complement to NEEDS, we are developing nationally coordinated sector-wide strategies for key sectors. This will clearly spell out the roles and responsibilities of various tiers of government in the key sectors as well as the private sector and delineate the structure of coordination. The point here is that for the first time, we are developing plans that fully take into account the federal nature of Nigeria, and hence the need to take coordination seriously. More importantly, there is a total commitment of this Government and the National Assembly to fully implement NEEDS. The National Assembly is poised to pass the necessary legislation to facilitate implementation of several aspects of NEEDS.

 

Finally, let me once more encourage all Nigerians to participate fully in this historic consultation process. This is one opportunity to take charge of our future and ground our hopes and dreams for a better future in popular ideas and total commitment to democratic practice. Access to the NEEDS document has been fully democratized. Everyone can visit the website on Nigerian Economy to download the document. You may also contact the National Planning Commission to send you a hard copy. At the end of the consultations, a popular edition of NEEDS would be available for the ordinary person and for use in our schools. As you read the document, bear in mind that nothing is cast on stone. Your contributions are vital before the finalization of the document. As I have often said, socio-economic development is too serious to be left to economists alone. Indeed, it is too

serious to be left to government alone. The private sector, the ordinary people must own and drive it. If we all think together, act together, and implement the NEEDS and SEEDS together, we would have laid the solid foundation for Nigeria to become the giant it is destined to become.

 

I hereby declare the Nation-wide consultations on NEEDS open.

 

Thank you and May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.