The Federal government has disclosed that the new National Development Plan will create over 21 million jobs and lift 35 million Nigerians out of poverty by 2025.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the Nigerian Economic Summit (NES), the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osibanjo said that the new plan was part of the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic in supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to create jobs and wealth.
Osibanjo explained that the Economic Sustainability Plan also served as a bridge between the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the new medium-term National Development Plan.
This new Plan is nearing finalisation and was developed through an inclusive process that brought together a broad range of actors and stakeholders from across all sectors of society.
“I understand that the private sector including the Nigerian Economic Summit Group made substantial contributions and inputs into the draft Plan which is to be adopted by Government in the next few weeks and I wish to thank you for your contributions.
“The broad objectives of the new Plan are to diversify the economy, invest in critical infrastructure, build human capital and improve governance and security. The intention is to achieve broad-based and inclusive GDP growth in order to create 21 million jobs and lift 35 million people out of poverty by 2025.
This is ambitious but realizable target is consistent with the government’s vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in a decade.