Abuja: The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, emphasized that achieving Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target within the next five years will rely on inclusive, innovative, and resilient national planning. Bagudu made this assertion in Abuja during the Nathaniel Atebije Foundation for Planning Advocacy (NAFPA) Maiden Annual Lecture, themed ‘The Renewed Hope Agenda: The Physical Planning Perspective’.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Bagudu described the target as both a challenge and a responsibility, stressing that national planning must transcend economic projections to encompass physical, environmental, cultural, and social dimensions. Under the 2030 National Development Plan, President Bola Tinubu has tasked officials with generating a $1 trillion economy from the current $300 billion within the next five years. Bagudu highlighted that achieving this ambitious goal would depend on inclusiveness, resilience, and innovation, involving every Nigerian in the process.
Bagudu further underscored the importance of inclusivity in Nigeria’s development strategy, cautioning that historical issues of poor planning and execution have contributed to national conflicts. He linked these priorities to the administration’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ which aims for growth, inclusion, and innovation instead of focusing on past challenges.
Guest Lecturer and Vice-Chancellor of Bells University, Ota, Ogun, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, noted the necessity of proper planning to turn policies from mere aspirations into implementable realities. He advocated for a shift from reactive to proactive planning to prevent infrastructure interventions only occurring after crises such as flooding or congestion.
David Garba, Chairman of the occasion, acknowledged the aptness of the lecture’s theme, addressing the pressing issues in Nigeria. He stressed the need for connectivity between physical and economic planning to avoid disjointed physical development in urban centers.
Olutoyin Ayinde, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAFPA, emphasized the foundation’s mission to advocate for urban planning that prioritizes inclusion, resilience, and innovation. Ayinde called for a focus on people, who are central to every human settlement’s planning and development, rather than just infrastructure.
Nathaniel Atebije, Founder of NAFPA, highlighted the critical moment Nigeria faces in its urban development journey, stressing the need to choose planning as a tool for order, sustainability, and national development.