The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu, has urged governors to give priority attention to empowerment programmes in the effort to reduce poverty in the country.
Idowu made the call Tuesday in her address at the opening ceremony of the 20th Edition of the Joint Planning Board (JPB) and National Council on Development Planning (NCDP) meetings in Maiduguri organized by the ministry in collaboration with Borno Government.
Idowu said state governments needed to serve the under served areas by engaging on more poverty reduction programmes, particularly in areas of agriculture to reduce unemployment in the rural areas.
She also urged for more collaboration between states and Federal Government towards effective implementation of JPB and NCDP developmental objectives.
The Permnent Secretary said that the theme of this year’s meeting titled “Managing the Nigerian Economy for Sustainable Development in a Challenging Environment” was chosen for participants to chart ways to overcome the challenges post by COVID-19 and the insecurity that is affecting sustainable development across all the states of the federation.
“This gathering is expected to provide sustainable solution to position the ailing economy,” Idowu said.
In his keynote address, the Secretary to the Borno State Government, Alhaji Usman Jidda, said the meeting provided a veritable avenue for highlighting most of the daunting challenges with a view to evolved a way forward.
Jidda said that Borno under Gov. Babagana Zulum had already launched it 25-year development plan and 10-year strategic transformation initiative as its bedrock for sustainable growth and development.
“This development plan serves as a beacon for complete socio-economic transformation and development of all sectors to thier ultimate potentialities,” Jidda said.
According to the SSG, Governor Zulum administration in its efforts to propel the state in an atmosphere of transparency and accountability has approved the establishment of the Bureau of Public Procurement with the mandate to ensure due diligence and transparency in all aspects of public procurement.
“His Excellency has also initiated and implemented a formidable and foolproof system of tax collection and remittance as well as checks and balances in all financial operations of Government.
“These are some of the ways in which the various challenges of development are being addressed in the state”, Jidda said.
