Vision 2020 As A Welcome Development

Haruna Ibrahim Adaha

Press Officer, Media and Public Relations Unit Federal Ministry of Energy (Power)

It was on Friday May 30, 1997 and September – December, 1997 that the New Nigerian Newspaper (NNN) and the Civil Servant Magazine ‘’Civil Service Newsletter Vol...4 No.2 of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture respectively published my article on the topic ‘’Vision 2010 as a welcome development’’. It is exactly eleven years today and I am still writing on a similar topic, now on” Vision 2020 as a welcome development.” Vision 2010 which I wrote eleven years ago and the vision 2020 I am writing about today both have their similarities and differences.

The main difference is the time and the type of government in power. While the Vision 2010 Committee was inaugurated on November 27, 1996 under the then Head of State, General Sani Abacha the idea of Vision 2020 came into being after President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was elected in April, 2007.It is worthy of note that it is the first time a civilian to civilian transition took place since Nigeria attained Independence in October 1960.

Unfortunately the Vision 2010 died a natural death with the regime that initiated it .The report is currently gathering dust in Nigerian Libraries and archives. However Vision 2020 can be more effective and sustainable if it could get a legislative backing for its implementation and sustenance.

The similarities can be derived from the targets and what Nigeria and Nigerians most especially the common man could achieve through its full implementation. As part of measures aimed at emphasizing the importance of Vision 2020, at a retreat for the newly appointed Ambassadors and their spouses organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, in a paper he presented titled ‘’safeguarding Nigeria’s Global Strategic Interests’ ‘Kingibe described Vision 2020 as a perfectly achievable goal given the resources and a leadership with commitment and vision.

He further told the new Ambassadors that ‘’As Ambassadors who will inform the World about this resolve of ours. Therefore, it is important that you believe and share in the vision and explore all avenues to actualize it’’.

Babagana Kingibe also pointed out that unless Nigeria actually becomes one of the largest economies by 2020, the country may be unable to effectively and meaningfully survive as a nation.

Kingibe also urged the New Ambassadors to acquaint themselves with the seven point Agenda of the Government, adding that it represented the strategic plan for the achievement of the Vision 2020.

At this juncture, it is pertinent to note that every vision if it is to be achieved has to address certain issues which include:

a. Where we were before?

b. Where are we now?

c. Where do we want to be in the future?

d. And how do we get there?

These questions will address the policies, programmes implementation and the desired results. Another area of similarity between the two visions is that both of them have International support and recognition

In an article, titled‘’Why the World is interested in Nigeria’s Vision 2020’’ published in Leadership Newspaper, Monday February 4, 2008 Adrian Melkert , the United Nations Under Secretary General and Associate Administrator of the Global body’s Development Programme (UNDP) had this to say ‘’Let me finalize with two points.One is the impression and welcoming of the strong commitment by the government to really want to see Nigeria with the Vision 2020 target in minds as one of the major economies in the world over time.I think that is a very realistic ambition.I think Nigeria is one of the major countries and economies that will carry the future in many ways’’.

Melkert went on further to say ‘’I think it is a realistic ambition provided that the priorities for achieving the Millennium Development Goals will be upheld because human development is not the only outcome of economic growth but also the condition for economic growth and that is where we also hope to support the government in ensuring that it is able to achieve tangible development in the next few years’’.

Therefore the Vision 2020 which will operate under a democratic setting would provide and achieve concrete result in our bid to be one of the world’s most 20 economically developed countries of the world by the Year 2020.

The Vision 2020 if well implemented will assist the country in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets by the year 2015 to which Nigeria is one of the signatories.The 8 MDGs Goals are to:

a. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

b. Achieve Universal Basic Education

c. Promote gender equality and empower women

d. Reduce child mortality

e. Improve maternal health

f. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

g. Ensure environmental sustainability

h. Develop a global partnership for development.

The Vision 2020 if well articulated and given all the necessary support it deserves would also help us achieve the seven point Agenda of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. The seven points Agenda are as follows:-

i. Power and Energy

ii. Food Security

iii. Wealth Creation

iv. Transport Sector

v. Land Reform

vi. Security

vii. Education

The power sector being the first point of the 7 Agenda of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua is very vital in achieving Vision 2020

The Minister of State for Energy (Power), Mrs. Fatima Balaraba Ibrahim while talking on the reform in the power sector noted rightly that‘’power problem is the most important challenge hindering development in Nigeria now. Without reliable power supply, the country’s quest for development as stated in vision 2020 will be a mirage as cost of doing business would be quite prohibitive. It is for this reason that Mr. President made power supply a priority in his 7 point Agenda’’.

Also in her key note address during the Renewable Energy Conference held in October last year in Abuja the Minister again reiterated that, ‘’It is often said that access to electricity affects not only investments in the real sector but the entire socio-economic development of a nation…….. I wish to add that the cost of doing business and the natural effort to combat poverty are also obviously dependant on the availability of adequate and reliable power supply. In this regard, new strategies to accelerate the provision of electricity must be pursued to achieve the developed targets set by NEEDS and MDGs………..’’.

The Punch Newspaper of Thursday, February 7, 2008 reported that the Federal Executive Council, in its meeting approved the composition of the National Council on Vision 2020 which will serve as the supervisory body for the implementation of the roadmap for the realization of the plan to place Nigeria among the top 20 global economies by 2020.

The Vision is a welcome development because the implementation of the blue print is going to be headed by the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua himself, a good disciple of the rule of law, while his Vice-President serves as his assistant.

Another important aspect of the reality of the Vision 2020 is the composition of the Members of the National Council on Vision 2020 who are to serve as the supervisory body for the implementation of the blueprint. The roll call includes the Senate President, Mr. David Mark, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mike Aoandoaka and six State Governors to be drawn from the six geo-political zones of the country as members.

Another welcome development is that while Ministers would serve as heads of the various Technical Committees, the membership of the National Vision Stakeholders Committees will be drawn from all the relevant sectors of the society.

The Minister for National Planning and Head of the Steering Committee of the vision, Senator Sanusi Daggash disclosed that the Vision 2020 implementation component would be in three stages namely: The first stage involves the harmonization of all development strategies into the vision documents, the second stage would project the vision into the future and the third and final stage will ‘’take us into 2020’’.

According to Senator Daggash, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua will finally inaugurate the Vision 2020 document on January 1, 2009.

In conclusion, my hope and prayer will be that Vision 2020 will achieve its laudable goals and that the present Administration will do everything possible to achieve the set objective of making Nigeria one of the top 20 economies by the Year 2020 and the vision would not be abandoned after the end of the tenure of the government that initiated it. I also hope that the present administration would put in place every structure that will ensure its sustenance.