Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President, on Wednesday, highlighted six things Nigerians should expect from him if voted in as Nigeria’s next President.
Speaking at the Chatham House, London, the Waziri of Adamawa said if voted as President in 2019, his administration will ensure improvement in the country’s sovereign wealth funds, railways, other areas, as well as restructuring.
The former Vice President, who had earlier warned Nigeria against over-reliance on oil, highlighted what to expect from him to include:
1.Streamline the operations of sovereign wealth funds “We will streamline the operations of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Excess Crude Account and the Stabilization Account which is currently embedded in the Revenue Allocation Formula for more effective stabilization outcomes.”
2.Extend railways “I will extend railways to connect workers to jobs, suppliers to buyers, students to universities, and parents to their children in every major city in every state.”
3.Restructuring “These are some of the ways I believe Nigeria’s states can improve their capacity, increase their revenues and better manage their local economies which are critical to safety, prosperity and welfare of all Nigerians and will allow my homeland to realize its true potential.”
4.Introduction of matching grants “I will make sure certain rivers are dredged to open up the hinterlands of the North. Licenses would be given to state governments to begin immediate exploitation of resources in their jurisdictions.”
5.Invest in Education “We have to ensure the minimum amount of resources are allocated & invested in education & health, with penalties for states that don’t comply. 1.6m Nigerians sit for university entrance exams with only 600,000 places. $1bn spent on paying fees in Ghana.”
6.Create stable and predictable exchange rates “Nigeria must have a stable and predictable exchange rate to allow investors to plan long-term. I’m not a supporter of multiple exchange rates.”
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