The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, has assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari would intensify efforts in restructuring the economy and fighting corruption in his second term.
Mustapha said this while delivering a keynote address at a victory celebration dinner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the UK.
The SGF, represented by one of the officials in the presidency, Mr Abdulrahman Balogun, said that the President would also tackle insecurity in the country in his second tenure.
He said that the anti-corruption war would be intensified, adding that government would build on the successes of EFCC and ICPC.
“Non-patriotic Nigerians with itchy fingers, past and present, will continue to fall in trouble, and probity and accountability will remain the order of the day. Honesty remains the best policy,” he said.
He commended the APC in the UK for its immense contribution to the re-election of President Buhari and said his government would live up to the expectations.
“We have laid down the foundation in the last four years and we are committed to seeing matters to the end.
“We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out,” he said.
He said that Buhari Administration in his second term had a truckload of solutions to drive Nigeria ahead and lift Nigerians out of poverty.
According to him, this is going to be a term of consolidation, a term of legacy building, as encapsulated in the Next Level road map.
The three fundamental areas will continue which include security, economic revival, and fighting corruption – but there will be some other definite deliverables.
“Education will be refocused, with the curriculum tweaked to place more emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
“These will surely launch Nigeria into a new realm, positioning her with the developed world in the not too distant future.
“Health care will come under focus, with the intention of building a healthy populace, who can hold their own in different areas of endeavour,” Mustapha said.
According to him, infrastructure development will continue: roads, rail, bridges, housing, and many others.
“The country is already one massive construction site, and this will continue to further unlock economic development, and improve the quality of life.
“The second term Government will be more inclusive. The boundless talents of Nigerians both within and outside the Country will be harnessed for national development.
“More women, youths and Nigerians in the Diaspora would be brought on board,” he said.
He said that poverty reduction would be a deliberate and crucial policy.
Mustapha said that the Social Investment Programme, already described as the largest and most successful in Africa, would be strengthened with the introduction of Monibank for traders and artisans.
He said that an Entrepreneurs Bank would also be established to take care of small and medium scale enterprises.
According to him, emphasis will be on power generation and distribution as to make a difference in the next four years.
“Agriculture will continue to have pride of place in terms of funding.
“Lip service had been paid to diversifying the Nigerian economy for decades, but now, it is a reality.
“Food security will be achieved in the second term. About eight million jobs were generated from the sector in the first term, many more millions are sure to come,” he said.
