VISION 20 2020; A COLLECTIVE EFFORT

“By 2020 Nigeria will be one of the 20 largest economies in the world, able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena.” NV2020

The Nigeria Vision 2020 economic transformation blueprint is a ten year plan for stimulating Nigeria’s economic growth and launching the country onto a path of sustained and rapid economic growth to become one of the top twenty economies by 2020.

The following critical priority areas were identified for immediate attention: Decentralisation of governance; sustainability; electoral reforms; land use/property reforms; public service reforms; national security; human capacity development and critical infrastructure (with particular emphasis on power and transportation).

According to NV 2020, the government intends to achieve the following goals by 20:20

GUARANTEE THE WELL BEING AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE PEOPLE through the following;
• Eradicate extreme hunger and poverty
• Enhance access to quality and affordable healthcare
• Provide sustainable access to potable water and basic sanitation
• Provide accessible and affordable housing
• Build human capacity for sustainable livelihoods and national development
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Improve access to micro credit
• Foster a culture of entertainment and recreation of enhanced productivity

OPTIMIZING THE KEY SOURCES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH through the following;
• Stimulate primary production to enhance the competitiveness of Nigeria’s real sector
• Significantly increase production of processed and manufactured goods for export
• Stimulate domestic and foreign trade in value- adding products and services.

FOSTERING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT;
• Develop efficient accountable, transparent and participatory governance
• Establish a competitive private sector led business environment characterized by sustained macroeconomic stability
• Enhance national security and improve the administration of justice
• Promote unity in diversity, national pride and the conversation of the nation’s cultural heritage
• Develop sufficient and efficient infrastructure to support sustained economic growth
• Preserve the environment for sustainable socio- economic development
• Promote the development of geo-political regions into economic pole

In other for Nigeria to achieve these goals, not only must all hands be on deck but the Leadership in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan would have to fasten his belt. Countries like Singapore have achieved similar feats but not in a society where corruption reigns supreme, where Legislators are stealing national resources and where public offices in whose responsibility this drive is entrenched is given to politicians and not technocrats.

One mistake being made by the Federal Government is that it believes this project can be achieved solely by its agencies; the Nigerian people must be made to key into this dream and work together in achieving it. Nigerian youths most especially should see this focus as affecting them greatly because we would be around in the year 2020.

I would encourage everyone to download the mobile application of the VISION 2020 from this link; http://www.vision202020.mobi/app/ lets all study this document and find a way to make achieving it our collective goal.