Buhari constitutes NEXT LEVEL policy advisory team

President Muhammadu Buhari has constituted a NEXT LEVEL policy advisory team to assist the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government in policy initiatives that will stimulate economic growth and development in the next four years. The team commenced policy dialogue in Abuja on Wednesday at the State House.

President Buhari in his opening address at the Presidential Policy Dialogue Session at the State House, Abuja on Wednesday enumerated the achievements the APC government made in the four years of the first tenure, after highlighting the problems of the past.

Welcoming participants to the Presidential Policy Dialogue Session, President Buhari remarked that his administration came into office in 2015 at a period of economic recession following the steep drop in the global oil price and years of economic and financial mismanagement.

The President said that through various monetary and fiscal measures, the government restoredeconomic growth, curbed inflation and shored up the external reserves.

“We have witnessed eight quarters of consistent marginal growth of the economy over the past two and a half years.

“We have made progress in the agricultural sector, especially, in food production and processing through our Food Security and Anchors Borrowers Programmes, which provide concessionary credit facilities to farmers in crop production as well as large-scale investors in food processing and manufacturing.

“To consolidate on these and other successes, we will continue to provide incentives that will facilitate investments and create jobs in key import substitution programmes,” the President said.

President Buhari highlighted that “in line with the “Next Level Strategy” of the ruling APC, which seeks to consolidate on the achievements over the past four years, the policy dialogue session has been conceived to:

a. Advise the government over the next four years to deliver on our promises in a manner that reflects true changes to the livelihood of the people.

b. Discuss and propose for Federal Government’s approval, key strategies and high impact initiatives to stimulate economic growth and development.”

President Buhari was of the view that the concerted effort requires the convergence of various stakeholders cutting across the private sector, developmental partners and industry experts to dialogue and forge a way forward.

“We are committed to consolidating the successes of the first term and creating an avenue such that the Nation’s investments and resources are geared towards sustainable development. We will implement structures that will accelerate speedy execution of these initiatives.

“On this note, it is my pleasure to declare this policy dialogue session open. I am looking forward to a very fruitful session with interesting and stimulating discussions and exchange of knowledge that will chart the course for our nation for the next four years,” President Buhari stated.

He noted that the outcome of the Policy Dialogue will be wholly advisory and implementation will be left to the federal machinery of government.