Buhari launches Nigeria Agenda 2050, with 26 days left as president

On Wednesday, May 03, 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari launched Nigeria Agenda 2050, a comprehensive plan designed to boost Nigeria's real GDP growth by seven percent, create 165 million new jobs, and reduce the number of Nigerians living in poverty to 2.1 million by 2050.

The launch took place just before this week's Federal Executive Council meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

During the launch, President Buhari stated that "this vision is a product of a dynamic knowledge-based economy to provide sustainable development by 2050."

He added that the goal is to increase Nigeria's per capita income to $33,328 per annum, placing the country amongst the world's top economies by 2050. The President expressed his hope that the policy document would prove useful for subsequent administrations.

The launch of Nigeria Agenda 2050 comes almost three months after the National Economic Council endorsed the plan and seven weeks after the Federal Executive Council approved the policy document on March 15.

The National Steering Committee for the preparation of the Medium-Term National Development Plan 2021-2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050 was inaugurated by President Buhari in November 2020.

Its goal is to elevate Nigeria to an upper-middle-income country and subsequently to the status of a high-income country by 2050.

This launch comes as the president has only 26 days left in office, before handing over to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

The meeting was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Head of Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, and the President's Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Various ministers, including Interior, Science and Technology, Finance, Transportation, Agriculture, Health, Communication and Digital Economy, Sports, Aviation, Environment, Works and Housing, and FCT, were also present.

The Ministers of State for Budget and National Planning, Industry Trade and Investment, Foreign Affairs, and Health were also in attendance.