President Muhammadu Buhari
By Abasifreke Effiong
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the year 2020 is the beginning of a new decade of prosperity for Nigeria and Nigerians.
The President in a new year day address he presented on Wednesday, January 1, entitled “Nigeria’s decade”, said with the tremendous projects earmarked for the 2020 fiscal year, the country will march into a new level of development and prosperity.
“This is a new year and the beginning of a new decade – the Nigerian Decade of prosperity and promise for Nigeria and for Africa.”
“Some of the projects Nigerians should expect to come upstream from 2020 include: 47 road projects scheduled for completion in 2020/21, including roads leading to ports; major bridges including substantial work on the second Niger bridge.”
“Completion of 13 housing estates under the National Housing Project Plan;
Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and Enugu international airports to be commissioned in 2020; launching of an agricultural rural mechanisation scheme that will cover 700 local governments over a period of three years; launching of the Livestock Development Project Grazing Model in Gombe state where 200,000 hectares of land has been identified.”
Others projects that will come upstream according to the President will be the training of 50,000 workers to complement the country’s 7,000 extension workers; commissioning of the Lagos – Ibadan and Itakpe – Warri rail lines in the first quarter;
commencement of the Ibadan – Abuja and Kano – Kaduna rail lines also in the first quarter.”
Buhari said the federal government will further liberalise the power sector while building more power plants to increase the nation’s power capacity in line with growing consumption needs.
The President thanked Nigerians for supporting the policies and programmes of his administration and encouraged them to be tolerate, law-abiding and peace-loving while the country transits into its decade of prosperity.
“Where our policies have worked best, it has been because of the support of ordinary Nigerians in their millions, numbers that even the most powerful of special interests cannot defy. I thank you for your support. Transition by its very nature carries with it change and some uncertainty along the way. I encourage you to be tolerant, law abiding and peace loving”, Buhari noted.
