Nuhu Ribadu's Plan: Pathway To A New Nigeria

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POWER AND ALLIED INFRASTRUCTURE

A country determined to compete in a 21st century marked by globalization, nations fiercely competing for markets and jobs, and rapid technological advances must have 21st century infrastructure to drive this project. Decades of underinvestment, policy incoherence and a failure to appreciate the crucial role of modern infrastructure in economic development and social cohesion has put Nigeria in the class of stragglers in this global race.

The proposals on power and other infrastructure are designed to reverse this state of affairs. We will resist the temptation to adopt an omnibus, catch-all strategy, promising to tackle all facets of the infrastructural decay at once. This is not a realistic approach, given the enormous capital requirements, the complexity of the challenge, and the time needed to properly plan a workable and sustainable intervention strategy.

We will focus on three main segments of the nation's infrastructure needs namely, power, railways, and road construction and maintenance. The fundamental goals of our power and infrastructure policy are job creation, economic development in general, and a properly interconnected Nigerian nation where people, goods and ideas can move freely and efficiently at minimal cost.

To Be Continued...

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Power

Inadequate power supply restricts socio-economic activities, limits economic growth and adversely affects the quality of life. Electricity supply in Nigeria is grossly inadequate as total installed capacity is far less than demand.

The current supply system relies essentially on natural gas and hydro (70:30) which are both vulnerable to sabotage and adverse weather conditions respectively. The drop in water level in the hydro power plants and acute shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants contribute to the inadequate supply of electricity.

The nation currently has an installed generation capacity of about 10,000 MW, but an available generation capacity of between 2,500- 3200 MW. Transmission capacity is estimated at 5,838 MVA with a transmission backbone of 4,534km (330kv lines) and 19 major transmission sub-stations.

Our distribution capacity sits at about 8,425 MVA. Technical energy loss is estimated at 14% of generation capacity (4%-transmission, 10%-distribution) Non-technical losses accounts for 32% of generation capacity. Access to electricity is estimated at 40% of the population.

We will move to diversify the energy mix by introducing coal powered plants which will employ clean coal technologies. These plants will be sited to ensure proximity to known coal reserves in Okaba, Ogboyoga (Kogi State), Owukpa (Benue State) and Ezimo (Enugu State). We will also invest in decentralized renewable energy such as wind, solar and biomass especially in rural areas, with limited grid access.

We will provide fiscal incentives for private developers. We will implement pricing schemes to promote load management and motivate customers to minimize their energy consumption during peak periods. We will also ensure good consumer education on the most efficient use of energy.

We shall ensure capacity building within the industry and re-orientate PHCN personnel towards customer- oriented service, productivity and efficiency and sanction recurring anti-customer behaviour. We will introduce power consumer assistance funds for low-income power consumers, who consume below a certain threshold.

We will bring credibility to the power reform process by ensuring that those we will appoint will be above board, highly qualified and driven solely by public interest. We will stabilize power generation, transmission and distribution in the shortest possible time while putting in place a sustainable energy plan for the long term.

To Be Continued...

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RAIL, ROAD AND WATER TRANSPORT

A modern and economically-viable railway system is the cornerstone of our efforts to upgrade the country's transportation network. In this regard we will adopt a bold new approach, introducing the British model of government –owned track system that will service private sector-run train companies. This is to ensure that adequate and regular investments are made in tracks to ensure passenger safety, even as we ensure that the entire network remain efficient and commercially competitive by encouraging private sector participation in ferrying goods and people. We will proceed by building a modern track network in a designated part of the country to serve as a model for gradual expansion. We will utilise a Public Private Partnership funding model for this project.

This funding model will also be extended to the maintenance and construction of new roads. Only 15 percent of the country's 200,000 kilometres of road networks are paved. We will aim double this figure and ensure the regular maintenance of all federal roads.

The country's transportation network will be properly integrated as we make air safety a primary consideration and the airports economic nodes. Working cooperatively with international carriers, we will partner with the private sector to expand and equip designated Nigerian airports to serve as the African hub. We will also improve water transportation by dredging inland water ways and constructing new inland ports where they are needed.

To Be Continued...

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AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY

The nation has been grappling with the difficult task of achieving food security and agro-allied industrialization over the years with varying degrees of success. Low productivity and wastage have continued to plague the sector, especially in the vital area of post-harvest handling of perishable fresh produce that provide the essential nutrients for sustenance.

While the country is endowed with arable land, climate and human resources, sustained poor policy frameworks continue to hamper efforts to scale-up and make more efficient the food production/supply chain. Industrialization based on abundant agricultural potentials of the nation has been slow to gain traction. Scarce foreign exchange is wasted on importing dairy, fish, juices and other food items that could be easily produced in the country. The enormous employment-generating potential of this sector has hardly been tapped.

Our food security policy proposes to address these gaps and ensure that appropriate attention is paid to every element in the vital food supply chain - from the field to the table- which includes primary production, extension and education programmes, post-harvest handling and farm produce haulage, preservation, storage, processing, and marketing as well as rural development.

We are committed to evolving a system of providing an egg and a glass of fruit juice or one glass of fresh milk to each child in school by 2014, in order to increase the protein and vitamin intake of our leaders of tomorrow. This programme will have the multiplier effect of encouraging increased production of these food items with attendant manufacturing and service sector activities which, in turn, will create wealth and jobs.

Farmers in each State will be supported through a combination of federal and state grants and loans to produce food and industrial crops in which their State has comparative advantage.

To Be Continued...

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FOREIGN POLICY

Our foreign policy platform proceeds from the truism that 'charity begins at home.' It is not a
coincidence that our diminished role in global affairs presently comes at a time our country is
struggling with enormous economic, social and political difficulties at home. It is now an established fact in international relations scholarship that a strong domestic economic and social base is the vital prerequisite for a successful foreign policy. Nigeria can only play a critical role in global affairs when it has emerged as a prosperous, stable and democratic country. Consequently, the primary task of our foreign policy platform is to speedily reverse Nigeria's declining economic fortunes, provide employment for our citizens, work towards social cohesion and stability, and drive through the reforms that will strengthen the institutions of our democracy and bring ordinary citizens to the heart of governance. We will do this with the aim of building the redoubtable platform on which a new and vigorous foreign policy will stand.

The international environment is presently rooting for democratic government, zero tolerance for corruption, poverty eradication, rule of law, respect for human rights particularly the rights of women and children, and care for the environment. We will bring these concerns to the heart of our foreign policy objectives, vigorously promoting them in Nigeria and the West African sub-region first before taking the message to other parts of the world. Our goal is to make Nigeria the reference point on these matters in Africa and in all international forums where they are discussed. We will lead by example in the Gulf of Guinea by reviving the comatose Gulf of Guinea Commission and making it a platform on which to launch a crusade for democratic governance and respect for the rule of law in the sub-region and Africa.

To Be Continued...

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DEFENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY

National security is the pivot on which the prosperity, governance and the general welfare of the citizens of any country turns. In other words, security considerations are paramount in any effort to transform Nigeria into the economically and politically.

Our defence and national security policy platform puts Nigerian citizens at the centre of
development; the argument here is that the citizens of a country are its first line of defence and that contented citizenry are best placed to vigorously defend Nigeria's interests and effectively repel internal and external threats.

We also recognize that the traditional approach of securing the nation by ensuring an efficient police force, armed forces and other security agencies is valid and just as important. And we will introduce yet another conceptual innovation by putting more emphasis on crime prevention and potential security breaches instead of reacting to them fire brigade-like as is the present practice. We will pay particular attention to the Police Force with a view to reforming it to operate at optimum because it is the only federal agency accorded statutory powers to prevent crime. Besides, the Police Force is the largest employer of labour in the public sector, with over 500,000 officers and men. Its vast operations with tentacles in all parts of the country require that they be adequately funded.

We will encourage specialised training for the officers and men of the Police Force; 25 percent of their time will be committed to training and re-training, and a continuous knowledge acquisition and improvement programme will be supported. Staff welfare will be integrated into a new framework that links productivity to career advancement. We will insist on a culture of professionalism and also ensure that equipment required for effective modern crime-fighting are supplied and regularly updated. We will encourage a migration to intelligence-led policing, and facilitate the process by ensuring that the architecture and input required for effective intelligence gathering and analysis are put in place.

We will eliminate the gap between the police and citizen by encouraging regular interactive sessions between both. Community and civic leaders' forum will interface with police formations to share intelligence, operation modalities and legitimate mutual concerns.

The defence segment of our national security policy platform is designed to achieve a compact, highly mobile, well-trained, equipped, and highly motivated armed forces. There are six broad challenges that confront members of our armed forces presently and which will be vigorously addressed:

There is no synergy of action between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Affairs Ministry in terms of input into Nigeria's defence policy. This explains why Nigeria kept the peace in Sierra Leone while Britain reaped the economic benefits of the post-war era. We will ensure that the 2006 National Defence Policy is reviewed and employed as a means of building greater synergy and cooperation between these two key Ministries.

There is no consistency in procurement policy with regards to vendors. This has led to lack of discontinuity in procurement and maintenance of equipment, leading to a waste of national resources. We will ensure consistency in procurement and maintenance of equipment.

Members of the Armed Forces lack basic uniforms and kitting. This has compelled Officers and men to purchase their own uniforms and other needs at great cost. We will provide these uniforms and other accessories on a periodic basis.

The various Services lack sufficient accommodation facilities to cater for both officers and men, and this is not good for morale. We will engage with private sector partners to provide housing for our Services at reasonable cost.

Although military hospitals exist in different parts of the country, they are mostly ill-equipped, compared to the standard of similar facilities outside the country. We will guarantee the health needs of members of the Armed Forces who are often exposed to high risk by virtue of the nature of their duties.

There are inconsistencies in the administration of retirement benefits as manifested in the changeover from the defined benefits pension scheme to the contributory pension scheme. This has had a negative impact on the welfare of officers and men; and every effort will be made to quickly ensure that retirement benefits are paid promptly to retiring officers and men.
Although salaries of public servants including the military personnel were increased across the board recently, it is still a far cry from the ideal. We will work towards meeting the required minimum standard if the total commitment of service personnel is to be secured.

Policies on posting and promotion, though available, have been observed more in the breach. Postings are sometimes done at random to the detriment of the Service and personnel. We will endeavour to restore consistency in postings and promotions to make for predictability and justice. We recognize that the Nigerian army, the Navy and the Air Force each has challenges peculiar to it that the six outlined above do not speak to in detail. These run the gamut from deficient training facilities to inadequate equipment, lack of operational capacity and sundry logistics and maintenance problems.

We take the welfare, morale and professional pride of our officers and men seriously as they, along with the Police constitute the vital backbone of the nation's defence and national security infrastructure. We will work towards addressing needs as they come up, and also involve all arms of the armed forces and the Police in the process of reviewing the National Defence Policy to ensure that it receive the full benefit of their contributions.

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