This column has, for the most part, been making a case for a return to formal national development planning by Nigeria. No other place could that argument have been made more forcefully than in the article of February 5, 2024, titled, “The economic reform programme of President Tinubu: Need for a formal blueprint.” The article of the previous week titled, “The economic reform programme of President Tinubu: The 8-Point Agenda,” had conceded the President’s political prerogative to a set of economic priorities his administration wants to focus on. However, the point of view of the article of February 5, 2024, was that in addition to an 8-point agenda, Nigeria needed an all-encompassing medium-term, 5-year development plan, which can incorporate the President’s development priorities while also addressing other critical national development priorities in a 5-year development plan.
“The way forward is for President Tinubu to give an executive order for the conversion of the Renewed Hope Agenda into a national development plan, thus paving the way for the domestication of Agenda 2063.”
The present article has become necessary against the background of other related recent articles in this column, specifically, “Domestication of Agenda 2063 and implications for national development planning in Nigeria,” published on November 11, 2024, and “A direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu on domestication of Agenda 2063,” published on November 22, 2024. Both articles made a strong appeal for Nigeria to domesticate Agenda 2063.
To refresh our memories and for the benefit of those who may not know, President Tinubu’s New Hope Agenda is as follows:
Reform the economy to deliver sustained,d inclusivegrowth.h
Strengthen national security for peace and prosperity.
Boost agriculture to achieve food security.
Unlock energy and national resources for sustainable development.
Enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth.
Focus on education,health, and social investment as essential pillars of development.
Accelerate diversification through industrialisation, digitalisation, creative arts, manufacturing, & innovation.
Improve governance for effective service delivery.
The eight-point agenda above in its present form was redefined by the president and circulated by the secretary to the government of the federation after the cabinet retreat for ministers, presidential aides, permanent secretaries, and top government functionaries held November 1-3, 2024. Circular reference no. CAO 175/S.III.157 instructed “all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to ensure all their policies, programs, and projects align with the President’s Policy Areas in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.” The circular ended with a plea: “Please give this circular the widest publicity and attention it deserves.”
The circular gave the heads of MDAs and their technocrats considerable discretional latitude in interpreting the Renewed Hope Agenda, designing programs and projects to realise the Agenda, and in giving it the “widest publicity and attention it deserves.” One of the consequences of this approach could be varying, unanticipated, unpredictable, and suboptimal outcomes, which could happen when development planning efforts are not deliberately, consciously, and seamlessly coordinated and orchestrated. Besides, there are no defined deliverables from one MDA to another and no metrics for ascertaining their achievement. So, indeed, a great deal is left to the discretion and self-motivation of appointed political executives and technocrats. This is a risk the President can ill afford.
The way forward is for President Tinubu to give an executive order for the conversion of the Renewed Hope Agenda into a national development plan, thus paving the way for the domestication of Agenda 2063. He needs not lose sleep over how this gets done. The National Planning technocrats need only to operationalise their national development planning framework with support from planning technocrats from other MDAs to get the job done in a few months of hard work.
The planning technocrats can also benefit from guidance from the African Union Agenda 2063. The Renewed Hope agenda has a parallel in the Seven Aspirations of Agenda 2063, which are: 1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development; 2. An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa’s Renaissance; 3. An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice, and the rule of law; 4. A peaceful and secure Africa; 5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values, and ethics; 6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children; 7. Africa as a strong, united, resilient, and influential global player and partner. Agenda 2063 has twenty goals linked to the achievement of the Seven Aspirations.
A close look at the Renewed Hope Agenda will identify some elements of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The formalisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda into a national development plan will enable the incorporation of the SDGs and the setting of clear-cut targets for their realisation, as well as the incorporation of the African Union continental frameworks for the development of key sectors of the economy, which include the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), the Programme for Infrastructural Development in Africa (PIDA), and the African Mining Vision (AMV), among others.
Also, clear and unambiguous targets will be set as national priorities in critical sectors like power generation, transmission, and distribution; national broadband expansion and deployment; the management of the naira exchange rates and exchange rate targeting; inflation targeting; export sector diversification; development of the oil and gas sector; and the use of gas as transition energy.
Following from the foregoing, it becomes clearer that Nigeria’s development priorities go beyond the 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but they are not in conflict with them. Indeed, the Renewed Hope Agenda can be used by the President as an overarching agenda to drive the realisation of Nigeria’s medium-term national development plans and Agenda 2063 under his tenure.
Mr Igbinoba is Team Lead/CEO at ProServe Options Consulting, Lagos
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