No Coordinating minister of the economy in this administration- Osinbajo

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will not be naming a Coordinating Minister of the economy; a practice introduced in the last administration.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made the disclosure  while receiving the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonathan Richardson, in his office, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

In the immediate past administration, the Former minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had also acted as the Coordinating minister of the economy. The job of the coordinating minister is to supervise and ensure that the President is kept unto date with economic activities as it concerns the government.

Osinbajo said his role as Vice President, is to supervise the economy.

“We are not going to have a system like where there was a coordinating minister. No, there would not be anything like that’’ the Vice President told his guest.

According to him, as the Vice President his role is ‘’ to ensure that everyone that is involved in economic activities, that there is a way by which the President is fully apprised of what everyone is doing such that we are all on same page and to make it easier for the President to make decisions.’’

Osinbajo also expressed the willingness of the Federal Government to deepen the existing bilateral relations especially in the area of economic cooperation with the Government of Australia, in mining, agriculture, shipping and transport sectors as well as in the area of infrastructure development.

Explaining the reason for Nigeria’s interest in the deepening of economic cooperation between the two countries, Osinbajo said ‘’the Federal Government would be interested in exploring deeper relationship on economic cooperation as it is a major area in diversifying our economy’’.

He lauded Nigeria’s excellent bilateral relations with Australia and commended the Australian government for the various capacity building initiatives in Nigeria and its investments in some key sectors of the economy.

The High Commissioner of Australia to Nigeria, noted that his country’s bilateral relations with Nigeria had grown over the years. He disclosed that his country is seeking to enhance relations with Nigeria in areas of commercial development and is ready to offer technical assistance in some sectors which the country has given priority to.

 

 Elizabeth Archibong