ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
PRESIDENT BUHARI ATTENDS NEXT LEVEL 1A. President Muhammadu Buhari, Wife, Aisha and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the launch of Next level a scorecard of Buhari/Osinbajo at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. NOV 18 2018.

PRESIDENT BUHARI ATTENDS NEXT LEVEL 1A. President Muhammadu Buhari, Wife, Aisha and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the launch of Next level a scorecard of Buhari/Osinbajo at the State House Abuja. PHOTO; SUNDAY AGHAEZE. NOV 18 2018. [PHOTO CREDIT: International Centre for Investigative Reporting]

‘Next Level’: Buhari’s five key campaign promises for 2019

byTaiwo-Hassan Adebayo
November 22, 2018
4 min read

Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, at the start of the week launched his re-election campaign manifesto in which he boasted of having built the ‘foundational work’ to trudge up the stairs to the ‘next level’.

Campaigns for the 2019 elections started Sunday, triggering a renewed scrutiny of the candidates, especially Mr Buhari and his main challenger, billionaire Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, a former vice president between 1999 and 2007.

As he is the incumbent, the candidacy of Mr Buhari faces critical reviews – no less than Mr Atiku’s though – as the country footslogs around economic and security challenges.

More Nigerians are falling into joblessness, and herdsmen-farmers conflicts have claimed thousands of lives in the past years, with implications for the country’s stability and unity, local and international reports show.

Nigeria has recorded big gains regarding the war against the Boko Haram terrorists who once controlled close to a score of local government areas in the country’s North-east under the PDP – but they still fatally hit targets, including the military and civilians, and many people displaced are not able to return home.

But Mr Buhari insists he has not reneged on the promises -security, economy and anti-corruption – that he rode on to win the 2015 election for his current term.

He argues his efforts have only amounted to helping the country out of a ‘depth of decay’ and then a foundation, which, if re-elected, would serve as a basis for a stronger country – the next level.

“We have worked hard to fulfil our promises – and while the road may have been difficult, over the last three and a half years, we have laid the foundations for a strong, stable and prosperous country for the majority of our people,” reads the campaign manifesto of Mr Buhari.

It adds: “Foundational work is not often visible, neither is it glamorous – but it is vital to achieving the kind of country we desire. Judging by the prior depth of decay, deterioration and disrepair that Nigeria had sunken into, we are certain that these past few years have put us in good stead to trudge on the NEXT LEVEL of building an even stronger nation for our people.”

RelatedNews

Nigeria and the Buhari Problem, By Fred Ohwahwa

Second Republic lawmaker Junaid Mohammed dies at 73

How to end Nigeria’s security challenges – Buratai, Olonisakin

Buhari transmits 2021 Police Trust Fund budget proposal to senate

PREMIUM TIMES has reviewed the document. The president is seeking votes to pursue five-pronged agenda if he is re-elected, according to our analysis.

1. Jobs

Government’s own official information shows Mr Buhari has presided over a worsening national job situation, with unemployment rate standing at 18.8 per cent -15.9 million people – by the third quarter of 2017 up from 16.2 per cent in the earlier quarter.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

The country’s statistics bureau has not released new data on the job situation since 2017, warranting criticisms the body is failing due to political considerations.

This situation negatively relates to the government’s efforts such as Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, N-Power, improving Ease of Doing Business.

In the re-election manifesto, not much is different, however, but the targets are bigger. There are five main ways it says the jobs creation agenda would be pursued if re-elected.

One, in the second term, which Mr Buhari calls the next level, N-Power would engage one million graduates and then there is a promise to skill up 10 million people under a voucher system in partnership with private sector.

Two, several millions of jobs are to be created through agriculture, including having the “Anchor Borrowers’ Programme to support input and jobs to one million farmers; Livestock Transformation Plan to create 1.5 million jobs along dairy, beef, hide and skin, blood meal, crops; and Agriculture Mechanisation Policy with tractors and processors to create 5 million jobs.”

Three, Mr Buhari promises to provide $500 million in funding for the tech and creative industry to create 500 thousand jobs and train 200,000 youth for outsourcing market in technology, services and entertainment.

ADVERTISEMENT

Four, further jobs would be created with the creation of Regional Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones, and “Next Level of 109 Special Production and Processing Centres (SPPCs) to spur production and value additive processing (as well as) Tractors and Processors Plan in Each Senatorial Districtv.

Five, Mr Buhari also vows ‘300,000 extra jobs’ for vendors and farmers by increasing the number of children fed under the school feeding programme from 9.2 million to 15 million.

2. Infrastructure

Unveiling his second term plans toimprove the country’s infrastructure desperately needed to buoy the economy and ease living for citizens, Mr Buhari commits to four areas, expectedly roads, rail, power, and the Internet, marked to be treated as ‘a critical infrastructure’.

Mainly, he promises to complete the Second Niger Bridge, in the works for years before his coming, and “the phased works in each state of the federation”.

Several roads in Nigeria are in a bad state and works on them have been for several years, gulping billions of taxpayers’ money with dismal results. Mr Buhari now promises to complete these projects if he is re-elected.

On the railway, he says he would complete the Lagos- Ibadan-Kano Rail, Eastern Rail (Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri) taking the network through Aba, all South-east state capitals, Makurdi, Jos, Bauchi and Gombe, and the Coastal Rail (Lagos-Calabar).

The Abuja Metro Rail Station inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Thursday (12/7/18) 03727/12/7/2018/Callistus Ewelike/NAN
The Abuja Metro Rail Station inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Thursday (12/7/18) 03727/12/7/2018/Callistus Ewelike/NAN

He promises to move broadband coverage to120,000km of fibre network across Nigeria, after ‘addressing uniform Right of Way charges’, and prioritise Internet access to education, markets, primary healthcare and business clusters.

Through renewable, clean energy sources such as solar, he wants to ‘energise’ universities and up to 300 markets across the country to have an uninterrupted power supply.

Then, further on power, he promises “a minimum of 1,000 MW New Generation incremental Power capacity per annum on the Grid; Distribution to get to 7,000 MW under Distribution Expansion programme”.

3. Business, Entrepreneurship Development

A string of plans towards facilitating business and entrepreneurship also feature in the Buhari next level plan. These include ‘people moni bank’, ‘entrepreneurship bank’, easing business process, and MSMEs clinics.

Under the people moni scheme, there would be a consolidation of the current trader moni, market moni and farmer moni schemes, targeting 10 million Nigerians from ‘the current 2.3 million’.

Then, the entrepreneurship bank is proposed to be tech-enabled and offer credit, capacity building and business plan support to young entrepreneurs.

For ease of doing business, he promises to “legislate and enforce deadlines for issuance of government licences and permits” and “simplify investments, customs, immigration, trade and production procedures”.

Then, there would be one-stop shops of all regulatory agencies (CAC, NAFDAC, SON, etc) under one roof in each senatorial district as Next Level for MSMEs (MSME Clinics) in each Senatorial District.

4. Human Capital Enhancement Services – Healthcare, Education

“Every child counts will make our students digitally literate in Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,” says the Buhari manifesto, adding: “all teachers will be retrained to deliver digital literacy”.

The president further vows 10,000 schools per year will be remodelled and equipped.

This may require working with states and local governments since the federal government only runs an inconsequential number of secondary (unity) schools in comparison with huge number the president says he is targeting if re-elected.

One of the classrooms at the Community School, Koola with broken chairs and tables
One of the classrooms at the Community School, Koola with broken chairs and tables

For the healthcare, he promises insurance for all using “co-payments to share the cost between individuals, the private sector and government,” while “the poorest 40 per cent will be exempted from such co-payments”.

5. Political Inclusion

The president promises to ensure 35 per cent of his appointments go to females. He does not mention if there would a piece of legislation compelling 35 per cent affirmative action on women inclusion in government – a proposal that failed in the National Assembly last year.

He also says he would increase the number of youth for appointments to boards of public agencies.

He also promises “special mentoring programme in governance with young graduates working with ministers and other senior government appointees”.

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (24)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

NEMA Scandal: Allegations against Osinbajo false – Presidential Adviser

Next Post

2019: My meeting with Obasanjo not secret – Osinbajo

Taiwo-Hassan Adebayo

Taiwo-Hassan Adebayo

More News

Scene of aircraft crash. [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter]

No survivors in military aircraft crash in Abuja — Air Force

February 21, 2021
Scene of aircraft crash. [PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter]

UPDATED: Military aircraft crashes in Abuja

February 21, 2021
Abubakar Malami, Abdulrasheed Bawa and Ibrahim Magu

What EFCC officials say about chair-designate Abdulrasheed Bawa

February 21, 2021
The governors and the monarchs agreed to end open grazing.

Insecurity: What South-west governors discussed with traditional rulers

February 21, 2021
A COVID-19 patient being attended to in the isolation center [PHOTO: TW: @NCDCgov]

18 more people die from COVID-19 in Nigeria

February 21, 2021
A back view of Samuel Akinbodewa, the 77-year-old father of the detained woman and his two grandchildren.

SPECIAL REPORT: Lagos govt’s inefficiency keeps woman in jail, without trial, for six years

February 21, 2021
Next Post
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

2019: My meeting with Obasanjo not secret - Osinbajo

Enugu on map [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

Man kills 85-year-old mother in Enugu

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


NITDA Ad




Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,621,652 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert

Zenith Advert
ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.