FG set to achieve double digit economic growth — Minister

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, says the present administration will strive to achieve double digit economic growth.

Bagudu said this in his maiden address on assumption of office  on Tuesday in Abuja.

“The President has always been emphatic that if other countries have done it, why not us, why not a double digit growth, why not inclusion for all, an economy that promotes and rewards competition and efforts.

“We have seen bold and courageous actions in order to reposition Nigeria and he has placed an institutional arrangement that he believes will lead Nigeria to have sustained double digit growth.

“This will enable us achieve our economic objectives at which the ministry is central to the government achieving it,” he said.

He said that the merger of the functions of the national Planning Commission and the budget office of the federation under the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning was a major policy change introduced by the President.

Bagudu said that the framework for coordinated planning and budgeting roles within the ministry was to develop appropriate institutional framework to effectively operationalise them.

Bagudu said that this would be done through harmonisation of planning frameworks,  alignment and prioritisation of medium term development plans.

“Presidential priorities and targets campaign manifesto with sector medium term and strategic reports that are in sync with sustainable development goals,” he said.

Bagudu said that there was the need to prioritise and conceptualise on how to promote Nigeria.

He said that he would adopt an open door policy, stating that the ministry was an institution of knowledge that could do better through exchange of ideas.