..Says battles of insecurity now taken to criminals camp
…Country close to food sufficiency
..Says no retreat, no surrender on corruption fight
The Presidency on Thursday released a 60-page compendium to mark
President Muhammadu Buhari five years in office.
According to a statement by Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina, the three-prong areas the Buhari’s
administration based its interventionist agenda – security,
reviving the economy (with particular emphasis on job creation,
especially for youths), and fighting corruption, today cannot be
compared with where the country was in 2015, when the President
came on board.
According to the Presidency, unlike previously when bombs went
off like firecrackers, insurgents ran riot round the country, other
forms of crime and criminality held sway…over five years, the
battle has been taken to the camp of insurgents and criminals,
adding that “And they are being extinguished by the day, and very
close to complete extirpation.”
According to the Presidency, in terms of Agriculture, the
country is very close to food security, with rice, beans, maize,
millet, and all sorts of grain no longer imported, adding “We now
eat what we grow.”
On the war against corruption, the Presidency said no retreat,
no surrender, adding that the slogan now is “Commit the crime, do
the term.“
The Presidency said under Buhari’s administration, the facts of his
achievements speaks for themselves saying: “Facts are stubborn
things, no matter how anybody tries to deny, distort or deride
them.”
The statement read thus: May 29, 2020, marks the end of the
first year of the second four-year term of the Muhammadu Buhari
administration, and the fifth year of the government in office.
Between May 29, 2015, when it was inaugurated for the first
term, and now, the Buhari administration has made salutary impact
in almost all the facets of Nigerian life.
The government swept into office on the wings of Change, and
that change has been wrought in nearly all phases of national life.
Where the lofty goals are yet to be attained, it is work in
progress, and eyes are firmly fixed on the ball. No
distraction.
The three umbrella areas on which government based its
interventionist agenda are: security, reviving the economy (with
particular emphasis on job creation, especially for youths), and
fighting corruption. In these three areas, where we are today
cannot be compared with where we used to be.
By May 2015, insecurity had badly fractured the fabric of the
nation. No one could wager that the country would survive the next
month, not to talk of another year. Bombs went off like
firecrackers, insurgents ran riot round the country, other forms of
crime and criminality held sway. Life was nasty, brutish and
short.
Over five years, the battle has been taken to insurgents and
criminals. And they are being extinguished by the day, and very
close to complete extirpation.
The economy, long dependent on a mono product – petroleum, is
being retooled, refocused, with diversification as a task that must
be accomplished. Agriculture has been given a fillip, manufacturing
has got a shot in the arm, and solid minerals are contributing a
large chunk to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The country is
very close to food security, with rice, beans, maize, millet, and
all sorts of grain no longer imported. We now eat what we grow.
On the war against corruption, no quarter is asked, and none is
given. Commit the crime, do the term. No retreat, no surrender.
Facts speak for themselves. And that is what we present at this
auspicious season of the fifth anniversary of the Buhari
administration. Facts are stubborn things, no matter how anybody
tries to deny, distort or deride them.
Attached below is the five-year Fact Sheet of the
Muhammadu Buhari administration.
BUHARI ADMINISTRATION FIFTH ANNIVERSARY FACTSHEET (MAY
2020) ECONOMY AGRICULTURE
• The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17,
2015, has made available more than 200 billion Naira in funding to
more than 1.5 million smallholder farmers of 16 different
commodities (Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, Cassava, Poultry, Soy
Beans, Groundnut, Fish), cultivating over 1.4 million hectares of
farmland.
• The ABP has substantially raised local production of rice,
doubling the production of paddy as well as milled rice between
2015 and 2019.
• Between 2016 and 2019, more than 10 new rice mills came on-stream
in Nigeria. Many of the existing Mills have expanded their
capacity; several new ones are under construction.
• More than a billion dollars of private sector investments in the
production of Rice, Wheat, Sugar, Poultry, Animal Feed,
Fertilizers, etc, since 2015.
• Federal Executive Council approval (2020) for a National
Agriculture Mechanization Programme, “the Green Imperative”, in
partnership with the Government of Brazil and multilateral
financing institutions.
The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative:
• Launched in January 2017, as a Government-to-Government agreement
with the Kingdom of Morocco
• More than a million metric tonnes of fertilizer produced since
2017. This translated to distribution of more than 18 million 50kg
bags of NPK fertilizer in the first three years of the PFI)
• 22 blending plants resuscitated (combined installed capacity of
more than 2.5m MT)
• Price reduction from 9,000-11,000 per bag, to 5,500
• FX savings of $150m annually through the substitution of imported
components with locally manufactured ones
• Subsidy savings of 50 billion Naira annually
MAKING BUSINESS WORK
Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: The Administration
has launched a series of funding and capacity development
initiatives designed to support MSMEs:
• The new Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has finally taken off,
with initial funding of US$1.3 billion (N396.5 billion); to provide
medium and long-term loans to MSMEs.
• Since 2017, the DBN has disbursed a total of N100 billion through
the bank’s 27 Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) impacting
more than 100,000 MSMEs.
• 52% of loans disbursed in 2019 were to youths and women owned
businesses.
• Bank of Industry has disbursed more than N400 billion in loans to
large, medium, small and micro enterprises since 2016.
• It has also established a N5 Billion Fund for Artisanal Miners,
as part of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals
Development’s Programme to boost Mining activities in Nigeria; as
well as a $20 million Fund to support young technology
entrepreneurs in Nigeria
• The MSME Clinics, which bring relevant Government Agencies
together with small businesses operating in various cities across
the country, to enable the Agencies provide direct support to these
businesses. The interactions allow the Agencies better understand
the issues facing small businesses, and provide a platform for
speedy resolution.
• The Ease of Doing Business Reform Programme (see below)
• The Government Enterprise and Empowerment component (GEEP) of the
Social Intervention Programme (SIP)
Ease of Doing Business Reform Successes:
• The work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment
Council (inaugurated by President Buhari in August 2016) and the
Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) has resulted in
Nigeria moving up 39 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing
Business rankings since 2016. In the last 3 years Nigeria has twice
been adjudged one of 10 Most Improved Economies in the
Rankings.
• The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) in 2017
completed a long-overdue revision of the list of activities that
can benefit from Nigeria’s Pioneer Status Incentive, which grants
beneficiary companies a 3 to 5-year tax holiday. The revision, done
more than 10 ten years after the last one, has modernized the List,
expanding the tax holiday incentives to qualifying companies in
E-commerce, Software Development, Animation, Music, Film and
TV.
• NIPC published a Compendium of all Investment incentives in
Nigeria, making it easier for existing and potential investors to
have equal access to the information.
• Some of the specific Ease of Doing Business Reform achievements
are as follows:
o Assent by President Buhari to the Finance Bill, 2019. The Finance
Act, 2019 is the first time Nigeria is accompanying the passage of
a Budget with complementary fiscal and business environment reforms
legislation. The 2020 Budget is also the first time in 12 years
that a Federal Budget has been restored to the January-December
cycle.
o Creation of a National Collateral Registry (NCR). A NCR or
Movable Assets Registry was established by the Central Bank of
Nigeria, in May 2016. The NCR allows small businesses to get access
to loans using movable assets – machinery, livestock, inventory –
as collateral. As of the end of June 2018, the NCR online portal
had registered 630 financial institutions. Between inception in
2016 and April 2020, these financial institutions had recorded a
total of 65,370 moveable assets on the portal, belonging to 165,456
borrowers, and valued at 1.26 Trillion Naira
o Automation of business name reservation, submission of
registration documents, payment of registration fees, generation of
Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), and filing of federal Taxes.
o Implementation of functioning Visa-on-Arrival system for Business
Visitors and AU nationals.
PENSIONS
• In January 2019, President Buhari launched Nigeria’s Micro
Pension Scheme – which allows self-employed persons and persons
working in organisations with less than 3 employees to save for the
provision of pension at retirement or incapacitation.
• The Buhari Administration is prioritizing the payment of pension
arrears owed staff of current and privatized/defunct Federal
agencies:
• N54 billion released to settle outstanding 33% pension arrears
(the 33% pension arrears date back to 2010 when the minimum wage
was increased to N18,000).
• Delta Steel Company (liquidated in 2005): 3,542 pensioners have
now been placed on the payroll, ending a 13-year wait for their
entitlements.
• NITEL: 9,216 pensioners payrolled, after more than a decade of
neglect
• Retired Biafran Police Officers (dismissed by the Federal
Government in 1971, after the Civil War ended, and pardoned by
President Obasanjo in 2000): President Buhari approved the payment
of the pensions, unpaid since their pardon in 2000. N571.56 million
was paid to a total of 174 beneficiaries in October 2017
• Nigeria Airways: President Buhari approved the release of N24
billion in September 2018, for the settlement of 50% of workers
disengaged when the airline was liquidated in 2003/4.
• Recoveries: The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate
(PTAD) has recovered cash and non-cash assets totaling N16 billion
previously trapped in various insurance companies and underwriters
managing the pension funds of Federal Parastatals and
Universities.
MONETARY, FISCAL, TRADE, IMMIGRATION, CONSUMER
PROTECTION REFORMS
Tax
• Launch of a new Tax Identification Number (TIN) Registration
System in 2019. For the first time Nigeria has a consolidated,
unified database of all taxpayers (individual and corporate),
across all States.
• This new System is the product of increased collaboration between
FIRS and States’ Inland Revenue Services (through improved sharing
of information, and an integration of databases, among others)
• The new TIN Registration system leverages on existing taxpayer
data available from databases of multiple organizations like
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Banks through Bank Verification
Number (BVN), National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC)
and others.
• The improved collaboration between FIRS and the various SIRS’ has
resulted in an increase in Nigeria’s “Tax Net” (number of paying
and non-paying individuals and companies in the Tax Database) from
13 million as at December 2015 to 35 million at the end of 2018,
and a projected 45 million by the end of 2019.
Trade
• Establishment of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations by
the Economic Management Team (EMT). The NOTN has produced Nigeria’s
first Annual National Trade Report, and is compiling, for the first
time in Nigeria’s history, a comprehensive database of Nigerian
Trade Deals and Agreements.
• The Renminbi-Naira Swap Agreement between the Peoples Bank of
China and the Central Bank of Nigeria: On April 27, 2018, the CBN
signed a 3-year bilateral currency swap agreement with the Peoples
Bank of China (PBoC), worth Chinese Yuan (CNY) 15 billon –
equivalent to N720.00 billon or US$2.5 billion.
Budget:
• Budget proposal submission, which used to be done manually
(submissions in hard copy and flash drives) has moved to an online
platform, the Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS), since 2018. The new Budget Submission
System significantly improves the transparency and efficiency of
the budgeting system.
• Restoration of Federal Budget to January-December cycle, with the
2020 Budget, for the first time in 12 years.
Immigration:
• Installation of the Migration Information and Data Analysis
System (MIDAS) – a global travel security standard – in 5 Nigerian
International Airports, commencing in late 2019, with the support
and collaboration of the International Organization for Migration
(IOM).
• MIDAS is linked to Local and International Criminal Dabatases /
Watchlists (INTERPOL etc), and achieves real-time synchronization
of data between all of Nigeria’s International Airports and the NIS
Headquarters in Abuja. It ultimately creates a faster and more
efficient airport experience, while also ensuring that persons
crossing Nigeria’s borders through the Airports do not pose any
threats to national and international security.
• Accompanying the installation of MIDAS, is the launch of a New
Visa Policy, 2020 by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as part
of a broader 5-year Border Strategy Reform (2019 – 2023).
The new Visa Policy incorporates the following reforms:
• Expansion of Visa Categories from 6 to 79, to reflect and cater
to the full range of realities and scenarios for intending
travelers to Nigeria.
• Introduction of eVisas, which carry biometric information of visa
holders. The eVisa issuance system is linked to MIDAS.
• Automation of Visa Issuance and Payment to reduce human contact
and associated corruption.
• The Visa on Arrival Policy expanded to all holders of African
Passports starting January 2020.
Consumer Protection:
President Buhari in 2019 assented to the Federal Competition and
Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Bill, the first legislation
in Nigeria’s history focused on curbing anti-competition practices;
and the establishment of the Federal Competition and Consumer
Protection Commission.
Debt Management:
Between 2017 and now, Nigeria has issued its first ever:
• Diaspora Bond, in the International Capital Market. The Diaspora
Bond was US$300 million with a tenor of 5-years. The proceeds were
used to part–finance the 2017 Budget.
• Sukuk Bond (1st Tranche – 100 billion Naira in 2017; 2nd Tranche
of 100 billion Naira in 2018 and 3rd Tranche of 150 billion Naira
has just gone on sale in May 2020). The Sukuk Bond proceeds are
being used to fund major road projects across the six geopolitical
zones of Nigeria.
• The Buhari Administration has issued Nigeria’s first ever
Sovereign Green Bonds.
Domestic Borrowing Costs:
• Through the CBN’s policies and directives, Treasury Bill rates –
which represent domestic borrowing costs for the Government – have
fallen from 16-18 percent per annum in 2017 to 2-6 percent per
annum in 2019/2020.
FISCAL SUPPORT TO STATES
• The Buhari Administration has extended more than N2 Trillion
Naira in bailout packages to State Governments, to enable them meet
their salary and pension obligations, especially in the face of
dwindling oil revenues in the first 3 years of the Administration.
The support has come in the form of the following:
o Budget Support Facility (Total of N614 billion extended to the
States.
o Paris Club Refunds ($5.4 billion)
o Infrastructure Loans
o Loan Restructuring for Facilities with Commercial Banks: In 2015,
the DMO restructured Commercial Bank loans with a total value of
N575.516 billion for 23 States to reduce the debt service burden on
the states. In exchange for their loans to State Governments, the
banks were issued 20-year FGN Bonds at a yield of 14.83% per annum.
The Restructuring Exercise benefited the States through:
Reduction in the monthly debt service burden of States from
between 55% to 97% for various States;
Interest rate savings for the States ranging from 3% to 9% per
annum;
Longer repayment period for the loans now converted into Bonds;
and,
Freeing up of needed cash to run the machinery of Government.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
• The Buhari Administration has, since 2017, issued a number of
landmark Executive Orders:
o Executive Order (001) on Improving Efficiency in the Business
Environment
o Executive Order (002) on Promoting Local Procurement by
Government Agencies
o Executive Order (005) on planning and execution of projects,
promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering
and technology
o Executive Order (008) on the Voluntary Offshore Assets
Regularization Scheme (VOARS)
o Executive Order (007) on Road Infrastructure Development and
Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme
o Executive Order (010) Implementing Financial Autonomy of State
Legislature and State Judiciary
INFRASTRUCTURE
• The Buhari Administration has demonstrated a single-minded
commitment to upgrading and developing Nigeria’s Transport, Power
and Health Infrastructure.
• Three major rail projects inherited from previous administrations
have been completed and commissioned: Abuja Metro Rail and the
Abuja-Kaduna Rail, and the 327km Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Rail,
started in 1987, have been completed in 2020.
• A fourth Rail Project, the Lagos-Ibadan Rail Project, kicked off
in 2017, and is due to be completed in 2020. The tracklaying for
the main component of the project was completed in March 2020.
• In May 2018, the Federal Government launched the Presidential
Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), under the management of the
Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority. The PIDF kicked off with
seed funding of US$650 million, and has already disbursed funds for
three critical road projects: Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway.
• Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in March 2018
invested US$11m to establish a world-class Cancer Treatment Center
at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which commenced
operations in 2019.
• Work is ongoing on two US$5m Diagnostic Centers in the Aminu Kano
University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre,
Umuahia.
• Abuja’s Light Rail system has been completed; it connects the
city center with the Airport, and the Abuja-Kaduna Railway
Line.
• New Abuja and Port Harcourt International Airport Terminals
completed, in Q4 2018. New Lagos and Kano International Airport
Terminals scheduled for completion in 2020. All were inherited from
the previous administration at various stages of completion, and in
some cases required project redesign and revision.
• The Buhari Administration successfully completed the
reconstruction of the Abuja Airport runway within the scheduled
six-week period (March – April 2017), and will complete the
reconstruction of the Enugu International Airport Runway in
2020.
• The following Water Supply Projects and Dam/Irrigation Projects
have been completed by the Buhari Administration:
o Central Ogbia Regional Water Project, in Bayelsa
o Sabke/Dutsi/Mashi Water Supply Project, in Katsina
o Northern Ishan Regional Water Supply Project, serving Ugboha and
Uromi communities of Edo State.
o Kashimbila Dam, Taraba State
o Ogwashi-Uku Dam, Delta State (Actual Dam completed and reservoir
“impounded” in 2016; also spillway discharge channel
completed).
o Shagari Dam Irrigation Project, Sokoto State
o Mangu Dam and Regional Water Supply Scheme in Plateau State
o Completion of Phase 1 of Galma Dam, Kaduna
o Rehabilitation of Ojirami Dam Water Supply Project, Edo State
• The 25 Road Projects being funded by the Sukuk Bonds:
o Construction of Oju/Loko–Oweto bridge over River Benue to link
Loko (Nasarawa state) and Oweto (Benue state) along route F2384
o Dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road section I (International
Airport link road junction–Sheda Village)
o Dualisation of Suleja–Minna Road in Niger State Phase II (km
40+000-km101+000)
o Dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road: Section IV Koton
Karfe–Lokoja in Kogi State
o Dualisation of Lokoja-Benin Road: Obajana–Okene in Kogi State
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section III (Azare–Potiskum)
in Bauchi
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section IV (Potiskum–Damaturu
road) in Yobe
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section V
(Damaturu–Maiduguri)
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section I (Kano–Wudil–Shuari)
in Kano
o Dualisation of Kano–Katsina Road Phase I, Kano Town at Dawanau
roundabout to Katsina border in Kano
o Construction of Kano Western Bypass as an extension of
dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road Section I
o Construction of Kaduna Eastern Bypass
o Rehabilitation of outstanding section of Onitsha–Enugu
Expressway: Amansea–Enugu border
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage Section I:
Lokpanta–Umuahia in Abia
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage Section II
Umuahia tower–Aba Township Rail
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt Road Section III:
Enugu–Lokpanta
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt Road Section IV: Aba–Port
Harcourt in Rivers
o Dualisation of Yenegwe Road Junction–Kolo–Otuoke–Bayelsa Palm in
Bayelsa
o Dualisation of Lokoja–Benin Road: Obajana Junction–Benin Section
II Phase I: Okene–Auchi, Kogi/Edo states
o Dualisation of Lokoja–Benin Road: Obajana Junction–Benin Section
III Phase I: Auchi–Ehor in Edo
o Dualisation of Lokoja-Benin Road: Obajana junction–Benin Section
IV Phase I: Ehor–Benin City, Edo state
o Reconstruction and asphalt overlay of
Benin–Ofosu–Ore–Ajebandele–Shagamu dual-carriage Phase IV
o Reconstruction of outstanding section of sections of
Benin–Ofusu–Ore–Ajebandele–Shagamu dual-carriage Phase III
o Dualisation of Ibadan–Ilorin Road. Section II: Oyo–Ogbomosho Road
in Oyo
Power Sector:
• The Federal Government’s Energizing Economies Programme is a
public-private partnership led by the Rural Electrification Agency
(REA), to deliver stable power supply to markets and economic
clusters across the country. The initial phase is ongoing in
Ariaria Market in Aba, Abia State (32,000 shops), Sura Shopping
Complex in Lagos (1,000 shops), Shomolu Printing Community in Lagos
(4,000 shops) and the Sabon Gari Market in Kano (12,000 shops). The
Sura Shopping Complex project was completed in August 2018, and
commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in October 2018.
• Launch of a 1.3 Trillion Naira Payment Assurance Programme
designed to resolve the liquidity challenges in the Power Sector by
guaranteeing payments to Generating Companies and Gas
Suppliers.
• Implementation of a Willing Buyer, Willing Seller Policy for the
power sector, which has opened up opportunities for increased
delivery of electricity to homes and industries. The Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has also recently issued
an Order capping estimated billing by DisCos.
• More than 90 Transmission Projects completed or ongoing since
2016.
Oil and Gas:
• NNPC is set to commence construction of the 614km
Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline, which will
traverse Kogi, Niger, FCT, Kaduna and Kano, and feed power plants
and industries along the corridor. NNPC has paid the 15 percent
counterpart funding for the $2.9 billion project, while the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) has approved the issuance of a sovereign
guarantee to cover the rest of the funding, coming from the China
Export and Credit Insurance Corporation.
• Nigeria LNG Limited concluded Final Investment Decision (FID) on
its Train 7 project at the end of 2019, and signed an EPC contract
for the project in May 2020. A financing arrangement worth 3
billion US dollars was also concluded, the largest financing deal
in Africa so far in 2020. NNPC owns a 49 percent stake in NLNG, on
behalf of the Nigerian Government.
• Controversial Offshore Processing Arrangement (OPA) has been
cancelled and replaced with a ‘Direct Sales and Direct Purchase
(DSDP)’ scheme with reputable offshore refineries.
• The Passage of the long overdue Deep Offshore and Inland Basin
PSC (Amendment) Act, 2019, which will deliver increased revenues to
the Federation.
• Negotiation of the billions of dollars in arrears of Cash Calls
we inherited when we assumed office, resulting in an agreement for
a significant discount of $1.7 billion. Since 2017 the NNPC has
commenced payment of the arrears to the Oil Companies, with a view
to clearing the backlog. As at Q4 2018, about $2 billion of the
$5.5 billion arrears had been cleared.
• Removal of the fuel subsidy regime and replacement by a
market-led price modulation mechanism.
• The Modular Refinery Initiative of the Buhari Administration has
delivered 3 completed private sector-led projects, in Rivers, Imo
and Delta States, and several others are in progress. Eminent
persons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo have publicly
commended the success recorded in that sector by the Buhari
Administration.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
• The SIP is the largest and most ambitious social safety net
programme in the history of Nigeria, with 12 million direct
beneficiaries so far:
• 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries currently enrolled and have been
deployed and are receiving N30,000 in monthly stipends. Additional
40,000 are at various stages of enrolment.
Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP):
• ₦36.9 billion so far disbursed in interest-free loans ranging
from N50,000 to N350,000 to more than 2.3 million market women,
traders, artisans, farmers across all 36 States of the country and
the FCT, under GEEP, using locally developed and implemented
technology solutions (More than half of the loans have gone to
women).
• In terms of advancing the financial inclusion goals of the Buhari
Administration, GEEP has led to the opening of 2,023,145 new mobile
wallets for beneficiaries.
• In November 2017, GEEP was chosen as the pilot programme for the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Policy Innovation Unit in
Nigeria.
Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP):
• 9.9 million Primary 1 – 3 pupils in 54,952 public primary schools
in 35 States. More than 107,000 cooks are engaged to deliver these
meals.
• The NHGSFP reduces hunger and malnutrition, and improves
education outcomes (boosts school enrolment); farmers and produce
‘aggregators’ also benefit from improved access to school feeding
markets and communities, and by extension improved incomes.
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT):
• More than 3 million poor and vulnerable households have been
registered on the National Social Register, and more than one
million of these families are currently benefiting from the CCT
Scheme, which pays N5,000 to each household monthly.
Education
Grants and Disbursements: The Federal Government has disbursed more
than 170 billion Naira in UBE Matching Grants to States and the FCT
since 2015, 8 billion Naira in Special Education Grant to States
and private providers of Special Education, and 34 billion Naira
from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and the
FCT.
Approval for the establishment of the following:
• Federal Maritime University, in Delta State
• Nigerian Army University, in Borno State
• Six new Colleges of Education (one per geopolitical zone)
Transfer of Almajiri Schools built by the previous administration
to State Governments and credible Scholars of Islamic Education,
for efficient administration and impact.
Healthcare
• Grants to State Governments: A minimum of $2.5 million disbursed
to each State of the Federation and the FCT, under the Saving One
Million Lives (SOML) initiative, to improve health outcomes.
• Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF): For the first time
since the National Health Act was passed in 2014, the Federal
Government included the 1% minimum portion of the Consolidated
Revenue Fund – amounting to 55 billion Naira – in the 2018 budget,
to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Fund is
designed to deliver a guaranteed set health services to all
Nigerians, through the national network of Primary Health Care
centers.
• Passage of Enabling Legislation for the Nigeria Center for
Disease Control (NCDC), for the first time since it was founded in
2011. President Buhari approved a grant of 5 billion Naira for the
NCDC in March 2020.
• Tertiary Healthcare Upgrade Programme: A number of key Federal
Hospitals across the country are being upgraded to effectively
manage cancer and other major health challenges. Cancer
Radiotherapy machines and other equipment are being provided to
these hospitals. The National Hospital in Abuja has already
received two LINAC (cancer treatment) machines.
Sports and Creative Industry
• Nigeria national U-17 football team, the Golden Eaglets, won the
FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fifth time, in 2015. Their first ever
win was 30 years earlier, in 1985, when President Buhari was
military Head of State.
• Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Paralympic Games yielded her
best gold medal result since Nigeria started taking part in the
Games in 1992.
• D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team won the
2017 FIBA Africa Women’s Championship, the continental championship
Cup, for the first time in 12 years, and earned qualification for
its first FIBA Women’s World Cup appearance since 2006.
• In 2018, D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team
earned its first-ever win at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and went
on to advance to the quarterfinals. The Team finished in 8th place
– the best ever performance by an African Team.
• In 2019, D’ Tigress successfully defended its 2017 Afro
Basketball Women Championship Title.
• In 2020, D’ Tigress became the only female African Team to
qualify for participation in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
• Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team, the Super Falcons, won the
African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016 and 2018.
• In 2018, the National Sports Festival held for the first time
since 2012.
• In 2018, Nigeria hosted a FIFA Executive Football Summit, one of
twelve worldwide.
• In 2019, the Super Falcons advanced to the group stage of the
Women’s World Cup, for the first time in 20 years.
• In 2019, Nigeria won its first Athletics World Championship Medal
in six years.
Creative Industry Support
• Establishment of the Creative Industry Financing Initiative
(CIFI), by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with
the Bankers’ Committee, to provide single-digit financing to young
Nigerians in the fields of Fashion, Film, Music and Information
Technology.
• In 2019, the Federal Government added Creative Industries to the
list of qualifying sectors for ‘Pioneer Status’ Incentives – which
grants relief from Corporate Income Tax for a specified period of
time.
• Presidential Approval for the handover of the National Theatre,
Lagos, to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers Committee,
for redevelopment into a world-class Creative Park serving the
theatre, film, fashion, music, and ICT sectors.
• In 2017, Nigeria was elected Vice-President of United Nations
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
NEW VISION FOR THE NIGER DELTA
The Buhari administration’s ‘New Vision for the Niger Delta’ brings
together a robust set of promises, solutions, targets and
initiatives aimed at ensuring that the people of the Niger Delta
benefit maximally from the region’s oil wealth.
The New Vision offers a detailed response to the 16-point Demand
Agenda submitted to President Buhari by the Pan Niger Delta Forum
(PANDEF) in November 2016.
Tangible results of the New Vision so far include:
• Take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta
State. The University was granted approval in January 2018 by the
National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate
degree programmes effective 2017/18 session, and commenced academic
activities on April 12, 2018.
• President Buhari approved 5 billion Naira in take-off grant for
the Maritime University.
• Ogoni Clean-Up: Setting aside of US$170m seed funding for the
Ogoni Clean Up, in an Escrow Account established for that purpose.
The Escrow Agreement Signing Ceremony took place in April 2018. The
Clean-Up commenced in January 2019, with the handover of the first
batch of sites to the selected remediation firms, after a
painstaking procurement process.
• Approvals for the establishment of private-sector-led Modular
Refineries across the nine States of the Niger Delta – the first
three Refineries have now been completed, while construction is
ongoing on others.
ANTI-CORRUPTION & TRANSPARENCY FISCAL REFORMS; PLUGGING
LEAKAGES
New Whistleblowing Policy:
• The new Whistleblowing Policy introduced by the Federal Ministry
of Finance in December 2016 has since then yielded several billions
of Naira in recoveries from tax evaders and public officials. (In
the first two years alone it yielded N7.8 billion, US$378million,
and £27,800 in recoveries from public officials targeted by
whistleblowers).
• Development of draft Whistleblowing and Witness Protection Bill
2019
• EFCC recovered 794 billion Naira between 2015 and 2019, in
addition to hundreds of properties and other assets.
• ICPC scrutiny of practices, systems and procedures of MDAs’
personnel cost from 2017 to 2019, yielded more than 41 billion
Naira in recoveries from inflated personnel budgets.
• In 2019 alone, ICPC recovered 32 billion Naira worth of Land,
Buildings and Vehicles.
• ICPC’s audit of Constituency Projects covering 2015 to 2018
helped recover 2 billion Naira of diverted funds and assets.
Increased Oversight of MDAs
The Buhari Administration is addressing the issue of poor levels of
remittance of operating surpluses by MDAs. From remitting only N51
million between 2010 and 2016, JAMB has gone on to remit more than
20 billion Naira to the Federal Government since 2017.
The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA):
• PICA was set up by the Buhari Administration to strengthen
controls over Government finances through a continuous internal
audit process across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs), particularly in respect of payroll. Through the activities
of PICA, more than 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries have been
identified and removed, with payroll savings of N200 billion per
annum.
Expansion of TSA Coverage:
• On August 7, 2015, President Buhari issued a directive to all
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to close their accounts
with Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and transfer their balances to the
Central Bank of Nigeria on or before 15th September 2015.
• The TSA system was launched in 2012, but failed to gain traction
until President Buhari’s executive order in August 2015. As of May
2018, the TSA system has been implemented in 92 percent of all
MDAs.
• The TSA allows managers of Government’s finances, including but
not limited to the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the
Accountant-General of the Federation, to have, at any point in
time, a comprehensive overview of cash flows across the entire
Government.
• This decision to fully operationalize the Treasury Single Account
(TSA) system—a public accounting system that enables the Government
to manage its finances (revenues and payments) using a
single/unified account, or series of linked accounts domiciled at
the Central Bank of Nigeria — has resulted in the consolidation of
more than 17,000 bank accounts previously spread across DMBs in the
country, and in savings of an average of N4 billion monthly in
banking charges.
• The TSA has brought the following benefits:
o Improves transparency and accountability in the management of all
FGN receipts by providing a consolidated view of Government’s cash
flow.
o Blocks the leakages and abuses which hitherto characterized
Public Finance Management in Nigeria.
o Ensures availability of funds for the execution of government
policies, programmes and projects
o Controls aggregate cash flows within fiscal and monetary
limits
o Improves management of domestic borrowing programme
o Enables investments of idle funds
• The Ministry of Finance continues to fine-tune the system to
improve its efficiency, and has also commenced an audit to ensure
that all funds due to the TSA are remitted into it.
Expansion of IPPIS Coverage
In spite of great opposition, the Buhari Administration has
expanded IPPIS coverage to the Armed Forces, as well as Federal
Universities and other academic institutions.
Deployment of BVN for Payroll and Social Investment Programmes:
• Considering that personnel costs are the Federal Government’s
largest expenditure line, the Federal Government has given priority
to the deployment of the BVN for payroll and pension audits. The
use of BVN to verify payroll entries on the Integrated Personnel
Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform has so far led to the
detection of 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries.
• The Federal Government has also ensured the deployment of BVN
system to serve as the verification basis for payments to
beneficiaries and vendors in the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP),
the N-Power Scheme and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme
(HGSFP)
Creation of Asset Tracking and Management Project
• The Federal Ministry of Finance launched the Asset Tracking and
Management Project (ATM Project) in 2016. By the ATM Project, the
Federal Government is, for the first time, able to locate,
identify, assess and evaluate all its moveable and immoveable
assets on a real time basis.
• Also, a Central Asset Register was created and domiciled in the
Ministry for recording the actual quantity, value, condition and
location of all the capital assets belonging to the Federal
Government. These initiatives are in line with the requirements of
the International Public-Sector Reporting Standard (IPSAS), which
has been implemented by the Ministry of Finance.
Replacement of old Cash-Based Accounting System with an
Accruals-Based System:
• Accruals-based accounting, in addition to providing greater
transparency in public financial management, provides comprehensive
information on Government’s current and projected cash flows,
leading to better cash management. For example, the conversion from
cash accounting to accrual accounting led to the discovery of
unrecorded debts owed contractors, oil marketers, exporters,
electricity distribution companies and others.
Enlistment into Open Government Partnership (OGP):
• In May 2016, President Buhari attended and participated in the
International Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the UK
Government. At that Summit he pledged that Nigeria would join the
OGP, an international transparency, accountability and citizen
engagement initiative.
• In July 2016, Nigeria became the 70th country to join the OGP.
Following this, Nigeria constituted an OGP National Steering
Committee (NSC), which went on to develop a National Action Plan
(2017–2019) that aims to deepen and mainstream transparency
mechanisms and citizens’ engagement in the management of public
resources across all sectors.
• In 2018, Nigeria was elected to lead the OGP, alongside
Argentina, France, and Romania. All four new members of the OGP
Steering Committee will serve for three years starting on October
1, 2018.
Creation of Efficiency Unit (EU) to spearhead the efficient use of
government resources, and ensure reduction in Recurrent
Expenditure:
• The Efficiency Unit was set up in November 2015, to reduce
wastages, promote efficiency, ensure prudence and add value for
money in all government expenditures.
• The Unit monitors Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of
government, identifying and eliminating wasteful spending,
duplication and other inefficiencies, and identifying best
practices in procurement and financial management
JUSTICE REFORMS
Establishment of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption
(PACAC)
• PACAC was established by President Buhari in August 2015 to,
among other things; promote the reform agenda of the government on
the anti-corruption effort, and advise the present administration
in the prosecution of the war against corruption and the
implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice
system. It was the very first committee the President set up after
he was sworn into office.
• PACAC has empowered Judges and Prosecutors to operate effectively
in carrying out their responsibilities through Workshops on the new
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
• PACAC has:
o Trained both Federal and States Prosecutors on proper drafting of
charges.
o Helped anti-corruption agencies devise clearer strategies for
obtaining forfeiture of assets suspected to have been acquired
fraudulently, mainly from State Coffers, before prosecuting
suspected culprits. Part of this work has involved painstakingly
reviewing existing Laws (like the Money Laundering Act, 2004, the
EFCC Act, 2004 and the ICPC Act, 2000), to identify and highlight
sections directly conferring powers of forfeiture on Nigeria’s
anticorruption agencies. This advocacy has led to a significant
increase in the use of Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture
Mechanisms by anti-corruption agencies;
o Organized workshops for the Management and Protection of Assets,
and recommended the establishment of a Central Asset Management
Committee – the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR),
headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, which superintends a
dedicated Central Bank Account that receives all recovered funds,
for coordination and transparency of management and oversight.
o Produced manuals, protocols and Standard Operating Procedures to
assist ACAs in their work. These include the Corruption Case
Management Manual; the Plea Bargaining Manual; Sentencing
Guidelines in High Profile Cases; the Framework for the Management
of Recovered Stolen Assets, Asset Recovery Strategy Document,
Corruption Case Management Manual; Framework for the Management of
Recovered Stolen Assets; etc.
o Drafted a Bill for the establishment of Special Crimes Court
o Initiated the whistle blower policy of the Federal Government
(see Whistleblower Policy for details)
Domestic Legislation & International Agreements
• President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Mutual Assistance in
Criminal Matters Bill, an Executive Bill, into law in 2019,
following passage by the National Assembly. The Bill facilitates
the identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery,
forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds, property and other
instrumentalities of crime, as well as the prosecution of offenders
in criminal cases regardless of where in the world they might
be.
• Nigeria has signed Agreements and MOUs with various countries to
boost international cooperation for the investigation, tracking,
freezing and return of stolen assets.
Prisons Reform:
• The completion, in 2019, of the first fundamental reform of the
Nigeria Prisons Act in almost 50 years, resulting in the
establishment of the Nigerian Correctional Service to replace the
Nigerian Prisons Service.
• Launch of New Prison Information Management System: The Pilot
Project was completed at Kuje Prison, and launched in July 2017
with the installation of a new data management system (the first of
its kind in any prison in Nigeria), as well as Hardware equipment
(computers, server, LAN connectivity, webcams, etc). National
rollout being worked on. Deployment will be in 86 Nigeria
Correctional Service locations across 16 States.
• Also as part of Criminal Justice Reforms, President Buhari in
2020 granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners nationwide, representing
about 3.5 percent of all inmates, in a bid to decongest Nigeria’s
prison population. The beneficiaries were those 60 years and above;
those suffering from ill-health that might likely lead to death;
convicts serving three years and above and have less than six
months to serve; inmates with mental health defect; and inmates
with a pending fine not exceeding N50,000 and with no pending
cases.
SECURITY
• Nigeria’s Law Enforcement Agencies have significantly scaled up
their footprint across the country – Operation Whirl Stroke in the
North Central, Operation Ex-Swift Response in border areas, several
new Forward Operating Bases, Quick Response Wings, Commando
Training Schools, and so on, and deployments of Special Forces. The
Buhari Administration has rolled out the most significant response
to Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges, since 1999.
• Increased Investments in Arms and Weapons: Government to
Government military deals with the Governments of the US, China,
Russia, Pakistan, and so on have helped eliminate expensive and
opaque middlemen. In April 2020, a first batch of 17 military
vehicles (VT-4 main battle tanks, ST-1 wheeled tank destroyers,
self-propelled howitzers etc) arrived from China, for the fight
against Boko Haram.
• Nigerian Air Force has acquired 22 brand new aircraft since
President Buhari assumed office in 2015, and is expecting another
16 (including the 12 Super Tucano currently on order from the
United States Government, and due for delivery starting 2021). The
NAF is also locally re-activating several previously unserviceable
planes.
• President Buhari resuscitated the Ministry of Police Affairs in
2019, to oversee the development and implementation of strategies
to enhance internal security in Nigeria
• President Buhari approved the recruitment of 10,000 new Police
Officers annually.
• President Buhari signed into law, in 2019, the Bill establishing
the Police Trust Fund, which will significantly improve funding for
the Nigeria Police Force.
• Nigeria Police Force launched a new National Command and Control
Center in Abuja in 2019
• President Buhari has approved and implemented new Salary Packages
for the Military and Police.
• Establishment of Operation Whirl Stroke in May 2018, to curtail
violence in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States. OPWS has recorded
remarkable success in tackling armed herders, cultists, kidnappers
and bandits in its sphere of operation, and brought tension levels
down from the escalated levels seen in 2017/2018.
Northeast
• Revitalization of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF),
aimed at combating trans-border crime and the Boko Haram
insurgency.
• El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club returned to their home base in
Maiduguri in April 2016, two years after relocating to Katsina
State because of the insurgency
• Emirs of Askira and Uba returned home in May 2016, two years
after fleeing their Palaces on account of the Boko Haram
insurgency
• Public Secondary Schools resumed in Borno State on Monday
September 26, 2016, after two years of closure
• Maiduguri-Gubio and Maiduguri-Monguno Roads reopened in December
2016, after being closed for three years.
• Capture of Boko Haram’s operational and spiritual headquarters,
“Camp Zero”, in Sambisa Forest, in December 2016. Following this
the Nigerian Army conducted its Small Arms Championship from 26th
to 31st March 2017, a measure aimed at enabling the Armed forces to
dominate the area, and avoid regrouping by the terrorists.
• Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Borno
State Chapter declared the 2017 Easter Celebrations as the best and
safest since 2009.
• Arik Air resumed flights to Maiduguri in May 2017, three years
after suspending operations to the city.
• Nigerian Military reopened Maiduguri-Bama-Banki Road in March
2018, four years after it was seized by Boko Haram.
• More than a million displaced persons have returned to their
homes and communities across the Northeast, since 2015.
• Thousands of hostages have been freed from Boko Haram captivity,
including 106 of the Chibok Girls abducted in April 2014, and 105
of the Dapchi Girls abducted in February 2018.
North Central and North West
• In May 2018 the Defence Headquarters kicked off ‘Operation Whirl
Stroke’ (OPWS) – featuring a Joint Military Intervention Force
(JMIF), comprising Regular and Special Forces personnel from the
Army, Air Force and Navy, and working in collaboration with the
Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), and
Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) – to counter armed
herdsmen and militia groups operating in and around Benue,
Nasarawa, Taraba States. OPWS has been very successful in restoring
calm to its area of coverage.
• Reorganization of existing Security Operations targeting
banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the North West led to
establishment of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) by Defence
Headquarters in May 2019.
• Establishment in 2019 of Joint Task Force Operation THUNDER
STRIKE (JTF OPTS) by Defence Headquarters to tackle kidnappers,
bandits, cattle rustlers, and other criminal activities along major
highways and adjoining villages around Kaduna-Abuja axis.
• Establishment by Nigerian Air Force of Quick Response Wings (QRW)
in Benue (21 QRW), Nasarawa (22 QRW), Taraba (23 QRW) and Katsina
States, and a Quick Response Group in Zamfara State (QRG 207), and
deployment of Special Forces to these QRWs/QRG.
• Nigerian Air Force has also established Forward Operations Bases
(FOB) in Kaduna and Katsina States
• Flag-off of Nigerian Army 2 Battalion Forward Operating Base
(FOB) in Kanfanin Doka Village, Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.
• Training and deployment of hundreds of Special Forces personnel
by the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force
DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Re-establishment of Nigeria’s position and influence in the
regional and global arena. Fragile/broken relations with the United
States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and with neighbouring
countries (Chad, Niger, Cameroon) have been revived and
strengthened since June 2015.
Nigeria’s prominent participation in the London Anti-Corruption
Summit and the Commonwealth Conference on Tackling Corruption, in
May, 2016 in London.
Major outcomes/results/manifestations of Nigeria’s renewed
visibility and respect on the International Stage:
• The positions of Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,
President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), President of the
International Criminal Court (ICC), Secretary-General of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), African
Development Bank, and African Export–Import Bank are all currently
held by Nigerians.
• The signing, in August 2016, of an MoU with the UK Government on
modalities for the return of Nigeria’s stolen assets in the UK.
• The establishment of a Global Forum for Asset Recovery (GFAR),
hosted by the governments of the US and UK in December 2017, to
focus on assisting Nigeria and three other countries to reclaim
their stolen assets.
• Nigeria joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2016 and
developed a National Action Plan, which is already being
implemented.
• In 2016 Nigeria signed an Agreement on the identification and
repatriation of Illicit Funds with the United Arab Emirates during
President Buhari’s Visit to that country.
• The Federal Government under President Buhari has successfully
engaged the governments of Switzerland, Jersey Island, United
States, United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein among others, in an
effort to ensure the repatriation of Nigeria’s stolen assets.
• A total of US$622 million in looted Abacha funds repatriated to
Nigeria in two tranches in December 2017 and April 2020. The first
tranche ($322m) is being disbursed as part of the Buhari
Administration’s Social Investment Programme interventions, while
the second tranche ($311m) is being invested in the Presidential
Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), managed by the Nigeria
Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
• Under President Buhari’s watch, Nigeria has been playing an
active and stabilizing role in OPEC. In 2017 Nigeria was able to
successfully negotiate a vital exemption from production cuts
agreed at the time, a move that helped shore up revenues and
foreign reserves.
• The Buhari Administration has mobilized International Support for
the War against Boko Haram, forging strong partnerships with key
countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France
and Germany, ECOWAS, the AU, the UN, and others. After years of
stalemate, the United States finally agreed to sell – and has sold
– weapons to Nigeria, (12 Super Tucano Aircraft)
• Revamp of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising
troops from Nigeria and Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin.
• The designation of President Buhari as the African Union (AU)
Anti-Corruption Champion for 2018
• The designation of President Buhari by ECOWAS Heads of State as
West Africa’s Covid-19 Champion in 2020.
• President Buhari’s interventions have helped restore and
strengthen democracy in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. He authorized
the deployment of troops, fighter jets and warships to The Gambia
during the impasse that followed the December 2016 Presidential
elections.
• Successful evacuation and repatriation of more than 10,000
Nigerian migrants from Libya, with the support and partnership of
the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Bilateral Relations:
CHINA:
• Billions of dollars in concessional infrastructure funding for
critical road and rail projects. President Buhari’s April 2016
official visit to China has unlocked billions of dollars in
infrastructure funding, primarily for road and rail projects;
• Implementation of a Chinese Yuan (CNY) 15 billion Currency Swap
Agreement between the Peoples Bank of China and the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
GERMANY
• Support for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), six-year
Programme to modernise Nigeria’s electricity grid, under a
Government-to-Government framework between the Nigerian and German
Governments; to be managed and implemented by Siemens AG.
• Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria
Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending
(NIRSAL) and Petkus Technologie of Germany, aimed at significantly
reducing the incidence/impact of post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s
Agriculture Value Chain.
• Signing of a MoU with Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA) to
develop a joint vision for an automotive hub in Nigeria.
UNITED STATES (USA)
• Renewed cooperation in Security and Anti-Corruption. The US
Government has approved the sale of 12 Super Tucano Aircraft to
Nigeria, as well as repatriation of recovered looted monies and
assets stashed in the US.
• Nigerian and U.S. militaries collaborated to host, April 2018 in
Abuja, the 2018 African Land Forces Summit, the largest gathering
of African Army chiefs, to discuss cooperation aimed at improving
security on the continent.
UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
• 2018: Nigeria commenced the implementation of Automatic Exchange
of Tax Information (AETI) protocol with the United Kingdom. This
Protocol will provide the Nigerian Government with data on bank
accounts, property and trusts held in the UK by Nigerian nationals,
and will support the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme
(VAIDS) by allowing Nigerian tax authorities to check the accuracy
of declarations received regarding overseas assets and income.
• 2018: Launch of a UK-Government funded £13 million education
programme that will provide training for teachers, school
equipment, and security for schools, for 100,000 children living in
parts of the Northeast affected by Boko Haram.
SOUTH AFRICA:
The SA-Nigeria Bi-National Commission was in 2019 elevated from
Vice Presidential to Presidential Level, as a symbol of a renewed
commitment to cooperation between Africa’s two largest
economies.
MOROCCO:
• The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, PFI (which involves a
partnership with the Government of Morocco, for the supply of
phosphate, as well as technical assistance), has resulted in the
revitalization of 14 blending plants across Nigeria.
• As part of the PFI, in 2018 Nigeria and Morocco signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (between OCP of Morocco and the Nigeria
Sovereign Investment Authority) on the establishment of a Basic
Chemicals Platform, specifically to develop a significant Ammonia
Production Plant in the Niger Delta.
RUSSIA:
• Government-to-Government Arms Deal involving the supply of 12
Attack Helicopters to Nigeria
• Resuscitation Deal for the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill, agreed by
Presidents Buhari and Putin, during the Russia Africa Summit in
2019. The Russian Government has agreed to support the completion
and full operationalization of the plant.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE):
• Nigeria has signed and ratified an Extradition Treaty with the
United Arab Emirates that allows extradition of Nigerians who flee
to the UAE after committing crimes in Nigeria.
• The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has seen
inflows of around US$2 billion under the Buhari Administration.
These are the first government inflows since the original US$1
billion which the Fund kicked off with in 2012.
SAUDI ARABIA:
• Relations with Saudi Arabia have greatly improved. During the
Future Investment Initiative (FII) in 2019, President Buhari met
separately and held extensive talks with the King Salman bin
Abdulaziz, and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS; as
well as the leadership of ARAMCO and the Saudi Sovereign Wealth
Fund.
• One of the outcomes of the Saudi Visit was the agreement by the
two governments to set up a joint Saudi-Nigeria Strategic Council,
made up of government officials and businessmen from both
countries, and which will focus on economic growth and development,
investments in oil and non-oil sectors, and security
cooperation.
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
“In Nigeria, we are taking a two-step approach. First, to protect
the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and
second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners
to ensure their families get through this very difficult time in
dignity and with hope and peace of mind.” – President Buhari
• The Federal Government of Nigeria is rolling out several measures
and directives on healthcare, border security, and fiscal and
monetary policies in response to the pandemic. More measures are
coming.
• The President has set up an Economic Sustainability Committee
chaired by Vice President Osinbajo, to develop a comprehensive
economic plan to respond to the disruptions and dislocations caused
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The President has also set up a Presidential Task Force on
#COVID-19, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Boss Mustapha, with Dr. Sani Aliyu as the National
Coordinator. The PTF is coordinating Nigeria’s multi-sectoral
inter-governmental approach to COVID-19.
• The President also set up a Committee made up of the Minister and
Minister of State of Finance, Budget and National Planning,
Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Governor of the Central Bank
of Nigeria and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to assess the impact of COVID-19 on
the 2020 Budget and to recommend appropriate and immediate response
strategies.
President Buhari has also approved the following:
• Establishment of a 500 billion Naira COVID-19 Crisis Intervention
Fund, for the upgrading of health facilities nationwide, finance a
national Special Public Works Programme, as well as any other
interventions that may be approved in the future.
• Release of special intervention grants of 10 billion Naira and 5
billion Naira to the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Center
for Disease Control (NCDC) respectively, to facilitate the Covid-19
Response.
• Immediate Release of 70,000 Metric Tonnes of Grain for
distribution to poor and vulnerable households across the
country.
• Establishment of a Joint Technical Task Team to facilitate the
movement of food and agricultural inputs across Nigeria, during the
Coronavirus lockdown.
• Commencement of a three-month repayment moratorium for all
TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans, with immediate
effect.
• Commencement of a three-month moratorium for all Federal
Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of
Agriculture and the Nigeria Export Import Bank.
• Presidential directive for immediate Expansion of National Social
Register (official database for implementation of the Conditional
Cash Transfer programme) by 1 million additional households.
• Implementation of Modified version of National Home Grown School
Feeding Programme, to deliver dry food rations to households of
pupils already benefiting from the NHGSFP.
..Says battles of insecurity now taken to criminals camp
…Country close to food sufficiency
..Says no retreat, no surrender on corruption fight
The Presidency on Thursday released a 60-page compendium to mark
President Muhammadu Buhari five years in office.
According to a statement by Special Adviser on Media and
Publicity, Femi Adesina, the three-prong areas the Buhari’s
administration based its interventionist agenda – security,
reviving the economy (with particular emphasis on job creation,
especially for youths), and fighting corruption, today cannot be
compared with where the country was in 2015, when the President
came on board.
According to the Presidency, unlike previously when bombs went
off like firecrackers, insurgents ran riot round the country, other
forms of crime and criminality held sway…over five years, the
battle has been taken to the camp of insurgents and criminals,
adding that “And they are being extinguished by the day, and very
close to complete extirpation.”
According to the Presidency, in terms of Agriculture, the
country is very close to food security, with rice, beans, maize,
millet, and all sorts of grain no longer imported, adding “We now
eat what we grow.”
On the war against corruption, the Presidency said no retreat,
no surrender, adding that the slogan now is “Commit the crime, do
the term.“
The Presidency said under Buhari’s administration, the facts of his
achievements speaks for themselves saying: “Facts are stubborn
things, no matter how anybody tries to deny, distort or deride
them.”
The statement read thus: May 29, 2020, marks the end of the
first year of the second four-year term of the Muhammadu Buhari
administration, and the fifth year of the government in office.
Between May 29, 2015, when it was inaugurated for the first
term, and now, the Buhari administration has made salutary impact
in almost all the facets of Nigerian life.
The government swept into office on the wings of Change, and
that change has been wrought in nearly all phases of national life.
Where the lofty goals are yet to be attained, it is work in
progress, and eyes are firmly fixed on the ball. No
distraction.
The three umbrella areas on which government based its
interventionist agenda are: security, reviving the economy (with
particular emphasis on job creation, especially for youths), and
fighting corruption. In these three areas, where we are today
cannot be compared with where we used to be.
By May 2015, insecurity had badly fractured the fabric of the
nation. No one could wager that the country would survive the next
month, not to talk of another year. Bombs went off like
firecrackers, insurgents ran riot round the country, other forms of
crime and criminality held sway. Life was nasty, brutish and
short.
Over five years, the battle has been taken to insurgents and
criminals. And they are being extinguished by the day, and very
close to complete extirpation.
The economy, long dependent on a mono product – petroleum, is
being retooled, refocused, with diversification as a task that must
be accomplished. Agriculture has been given a fillip, manufacturing
has got a shot in the arm, and solid minerals are contributing a
large chunk to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The country is
very close to food security, with rice, beans, maize, millet, and
all sorts of grain no longer imported. We now eat what we grow.
On the war against corruption, no quarter is asked, and none is
given. Commit the crime, do the term. No retreat, no surrender.
Facts speak for themselves. And that is what we present at this
auspicious season of the fifth anniversary of the Buhari
administration. Facts are stubborn things, no matter how anybody
tries to deny, distort or deride them.
Attached below is the five-year Fact Sheet of the
Muhammadu Buhari administration.
BUHARI ADMINISTRATION FIFTH ANNIVERSARY FACTSHEET (MAY
2020) ECONOMY AGRICULTURE
• The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) of the Central Bank of
Nigeria, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on November 17,
2015, has made available more than 200 billion Naira in funding to
more than 1.5 million smallholder farmers of 16 different
commodities (Rice, Wheat, Maize, Cotton, Cassava, Poultry, Soy
Beans, Groundnut, Fish), cultivating over 1.4 million hectares of
farmland.
• The ABP has substantially raised local production of rice,
doubling the production of paddy as well as milled rice between
2015 and 2019.
• Between 2016 and 2019, more than 10 new rice mills came on-stream
in Nigeria. Many of the existing Mills have expanded their
capacity; several new ones are under construction.
• More than a billion dollars of private sector investments in the
production of Rice, Wheat, Sugar, Poultry, Animal Feed,
Fertilizers, etc, since 2015.
• Federal Executive Council approval (2020) for a National
Agriculture Mechanization Programme, “the Green Imperative”, in
partnership with the Government of Brazil and multilateral
financing institutions.
The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative:
• Launched in January 2017, as a Government-to-Government agreement
with the Kingdom of Morocco
• More than a million metric tonnes of fertilizer produced since
2017. This translated to distribution of more than 18 million 50kg
bags of NPK fertilizer in the first three years of the PFI)
• 22 blending plants resuscitated (combined installed capacity of
more than 2.5m MT)
• Price reduction from 9,000-11,000 per bag, to 5,500
• FX savings of $150m annually through the substitution of imported
components with locally manufactured ones
• Subsidy savings of 50 billion Naira annually
MAKING BUSINESS WORK
Support for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: The Administration
has launched a series of funding and capacity development
initiatives designed to support MSMEs:
• The new Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has finally taken off,
with initial funding of US$1.3 billion (N396.5 billion); to provide
medium and long-term loans to MSMEs.
• Since 2017, the DBN has disbursed a total of N100 billion through
the bank’s 27 Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) impacting
more than 100,000 MSMEs.
• 52% of loans disbursed in 2019 were to youths and women owned
businesses.
• Bank of Industry has disbursed more than N400 billion in loans to
large, medium, small and micro enterprises since 2016.
• It has also established a N5 Billion Fund for Artisanal Miners,
as part of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals
Development’s Programme to boost Mining activities in Nigeria; as
well as a $20 million Fund to support young technology
entrepreneurs in Nigeria
• The MSME Clinics, which bring relevant Government Agencies
together with small businesses operating in various cities across
the country, to enable the Agencies provide direct support to these
businesses. The interactions allow the Agencies better understand
the issues facing small businesses, and provide a platform for
speedy resolution.
• The Ease of Doing Business Reform Programme (see below)
• The Government Enterprise and Empowerment component (GEEP) of the
Social Intervention Programme (SIP)
Ease of Doing Business Reform Successes:
• The work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment
Council (inaugurated by President Buhari in August 2016) and the
Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES) has resulted in
Nigeria moving up 39 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing
Business rankings since 2016. In the last 3 years Nigeria has twice
been adjudged one of 10 Most Improved Economies in the
Rankings.
• The Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) in 2017
completed a long-overdue revision of the list of activities that
can benefit from Nigeria’s Pioneer Status Incentive, which grants
beneficiary companies a 3 to 5-year tax holiday. The revision, done
more than 10 ten years after the last one, has modernized the List,
expanding the tax holiday incentives to qualifying companies in
E-commerce, Software Development, Animation, Music, Film and
TV.
• NIPC published a Compendium of all Investment incentives in
Nigeria, making it easier for existing and potential investors to
have equal access to the information.
• Some of the specific Ease of Doing Business Reform achievements
are as follows:
o Assent by President Buhari to the Finance Bill, 2019. The Finance
Act, 2019 is the first time Nigeria is accompanying the passage of
a Budget with complementary fiscal and business environment reforms
legislation. The 2020 Budget is also the first time in 12 years
that a Federal Budget has been restored to the January-December
cycle.
o Creation of a National Collateral Registry (NCR). A NCR or
Movable Assets Registry was established by the Central Bank of
Nigeria, in May 2016. The NCR allows small businesses to get access
to loans using movable assets – machinery, livestock, inventory –
as collateral. As of the end of June 2018, the NCR online portal
had registered 630 financial institutions. Between inception in
2016 and April 2020, these financial institutions had recorded a
total of 65,370 moveable assets on the portal, belonging to 165,456
borrowers, and valued at 1.26 Trillion Naira
o Automation of business name reservation, submission of
registration documents, payment of registration fees, generation of
Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), and filing of federal Taxes.
o Implementation of functioning Visa-on-Arrival system for Business
Visitors and AU nationals.
PENSIONS
• In January 2019, President Buhari launched Nigeria’s Micro
Pension Scheme – which allows self-employed persons and persons
working in organisations with less than 3 employees to save for the
provision of pension at retirement or incapacitation.
• The Buhari Administration is prioritizing the payment of pension
arrears owed staff of current and privatized/defunct Federal
agencies:
• N54 billion released to settle outstanding 33% pension arrears
(the 33% pension arrears date back to 2010 when the minimum wage
was increased to N18,000).
• Delta Steel Company (liquidated in 2005): 3,542 pensioners have
now been placed on the payroll, ending a 13-year wait for their
entitlements.
• NITEL: 9,216 pensioners payrolled, after more than a decade of
neglect
• Retired Biafran Police Officers (dismissed by the Federal
Government in 1971, after the Civil War ended, and pardoned by
President Obasanjo in 2000): President Buhari approved the payment
of the pensions, unpaid since their pardon in 2000. N571.56 million
was paid to a total of 174 beneficiaries in October 2017
• Nigeria Airways: President Buhari approved the release of N24
billion in September 2018, for the settlement of 50% of workers
disengaged when the airline was liquidated in 2003/4.
• Recoveries: The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate
(PTAD) has recovered cash and non-cash assets totaling N16 billion
previously trapped in various insurance companies and underwriters
managing the pension funds of Federal Parastatals and
Universities.
MONETARY, FISCAL, TRADE, IMMIGRATION, CONSUMER
PROTECTION REFORMS
Tax
• Launch of a new Tax Identification Number (TIN) Registration
System in 2019. For the first time Nigeria has a consolidated,
unified database of all taxpayers (individual and corporate),
across all States.
• This new System is the product of increased collaboration between
FIRS and States’ Inland Revenue Services (through improved sharing
of information, and an integration of databases, among others)
• The new TIN Registration system leverages on existing taxpayer
data available from databases of multiple organizations like
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Banks through Bank Verification
Number (BVN), National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC)
and others.
• The improved collaboration between FIRS and the various SIRS’ has
resulted in an increase in Nigeria’s “Tax Net” (number of paying
and non-paying individuals and companies in the Tax Database) from
13 million as at December 2015 to 35 million at the end of 2018,
and a projected 45 million by the end of 2019.
Trade
• Establishment of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations by
the Economic Management Team (EMT). The NOTN has produced Nigeria’s
first Annual National Trade Report, and is compiling, for the first
time in Nigeria’s history, a comprehensive database of Nigerian
Trade Deals and Agreements.
• The Renminbi-Naira Swap Agreement between the Peoples Bank of
China and the Central Bank of Nigeria: On April 27, 2018, the CBN
signed a 3-year bilateral currency swap agreement with the Peoples
Bank of China (PBoC), worth Chinese Yuan (CNY) 15 billon –
equivalent to N720.00 billon or US$2.5 billion.
Budget:
• Budget proposal submission, which used to be done manually
(submissions in hard copy and flash drives) has moved to an online
platform, the Government Integrated Financial Management
Information System (GIFMIS), since 2018. The new Budget Submission
System significantly improves the transparency and efficiency of
the budgeting system.
• Restoration of Federal Budget to January-December cycle, with the
2020 Budget, for the first time in 12 years.
Immigration:
• Installation of the Migration Information and Data Analysis
System (MIDAS) – a global travel security standard – in 5 Nigerian
International Airports, commencing in late 2019, with the support
and collaboration of the International Organization for Migration
(IOM).
• MIDAS is linked to Local and International Criminal Dabatases /
Watchlists (INTERPOL etc), and achieves real-time synchronization
of data between all of Nigeria’s International Airports and the NIS
Headquarters in Abuja. It ultimately creates a faster and more
efficient airport experience, while also ensuring that persons
crossing Nigeria’s borders through the Airports do not pose any
threats to national and international security.
• Accompanying the installation of MIDAS, is the launch of a New
Visa Policy, 2020 by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as part
of a broader 5-year Border Strategy Reform (2019 – 2023).
The new Visa Policy incorporates the following reforms:
• Expansion of Visa Categories from 6 to 79, to reflect and cater
to the full range of realities and scenarios for intending
travelers to Nigeria.
• Introduction of eVisas, which carry biometric information of visa
holders. The eVisa issuance system is linked to MIDAS.
• Automation of Visa Issuance and Payment to reduce human contact
and associated corruption.
• The Visa on Arrival Policy expanded to all holders of African
Passports starting January 2020.
Consumer Protection:
President Buhari in 2019 assented to the Federal Competition and
Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Bill, the first legislation
in Nigeria’s history focused on curbing anti-competition practices;
and the establishment of the Federal Competition and Consumer
Protection Commission.
Debt Management:
Between 2017 and now, Nigeria has issued its first ever:
• Diaspora Bond, in the International Capital Market. The Diaspora
Bond was US$300 million with a tenor of 5-years. The proceeds were
used to part–finance the 2017 Budget.
• Sukuk Bond (1st Tranche – 100 billion Naira in 2017; 2nd Tranche
of 100 billion Naira in 2018 and 3rd Tranche of 150 billion Naira
has just gone on sale in May 2020). The Sukuk Bond proceeds are
being used to fund major road projects across the six geopolitical
zones of Nigeria.
• The Buhari Administration has issued Nigeria’s first ever
Sovereign Green Bonds.
Domestic Borrowing Costs:
• Through the CBN’s policies and directives, Treasury Bill rates –
which represent domestic borrowing costs for the Government – have
fallen from 16-18 percent per annum in 2017 to 2-6 percent per
annum in 2019/2020.
FISCAL SUPPORT TO STATES
• The Buhari Administration has extended more than N2 Trillion
Naira in bailout packages to State Governments, to enable them meet
their salary and pension obligations, especially in the face of
dwindling oil revenues in the first 3 years of the Administration.
The support has come in the form of the following:
o Budget Support Facility (Total of N614 billion extended to the
States.
o Paris Club Refunds ($5.4 billion)
o Infrastructure Loans
o Loan Restructuring for Facilities with Commercial Banks: In 2015,
the DMO restructured Commercial Bank loans with a total value of
N575.516 billion for 23 States to reduce the debt service burden on
the states. In exchange for their loans to State Governments, the
banks were issued 20-year FGN Bonds at a yield of 14.83% per annum.
The Restructuring Exercise benefited the States through:
Reduction in the monthly debt service burden of States from
between 55% to 97% for various States;
Interest rate savings for the States ranging from 3% to 9% per
annum;
Longer repayment period for the loans now converted into Bonds;
and,
Freeing up of needed cash to run the machinery of Government.
EXECUTIVE ORDERS
• The Buhari Administration has, since 2017, issued a number of
landmark Executive Orders:
o Executive Order (001) on Improving Efficiency in the Business
Environment
o Executive Order (002) on Promoting Local Procurement by
Government Agencies
o Executive Order (005) on planning and execution of projects,
promotion of Nigerian content in contracts and science, engineering
and technology
o Executive Order (008) on the Voluntary Offshore Assets
Regularization Scheme (VOARS)
o Executive Order (007) on Road Infrastructure Development and
Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme
o Executive Order (010) Implementing Financial Autonomy of State
Legislature and State Judiciary
INFRASTRUCTURE
• The Buhari Administration has demonstrated a single-minded
commitment to upgrading and developing Nigeria’s Transport, Power
and Health Infrastructure.
• Three major rail projects inherited from previous administrations
have been completed and commissioned: Abuja Metro Rail and the
Abuja-Kaduna Rail, and the 327km Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Rail,
started in 1987, have been completed in 2020.
• A fourth Rail Project, the Lagos-Ibadan Rail Project, kicked off
in 2017, and is due to be completed in 2020. The tracklaying for
the main component of the project was completed in March 2020.
• In May 2018, the Federal Government launched the Presidential
Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), under the management of the
Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority. The PIDF kicked off with
seed funding of US$650 million, and has already disbursed funds for
three critical road projects: Second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway.
• Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in March 2018
invested US$11m to establish a world-class Cancer Treatment Center
at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which commenced
operations in 2019.
• Work is ongoing on two US$5m Diagnostic Centers in the Aminu Kano
University Teaching Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre,
Umuahia.
• Abuja’s Light Rail system has been completed; it connects the
city center with the Airport, and the Abuja-Kaduna Railway
Line.
• New Abuja and Port Harcourt International Airport Terminals
completed, in Q4 2018. New Lagos and Kano International Airport
Terminals scheduled for completion in 2020. All were inherited from
the previous administration at various stages of completion, and in
some cases required project redesign and revision.
• The Buhari Administration successfully completed the
reconstruction of the Abuja Airport runway within the scheduled
six-week period (March – April 2017), and will complete the
reconstruction of the Enugu International Airport Runway in
2020.
• The following Water Supply Projects and Dam/Irrigation Projects
have been completed by the Buhari Administration:
o Central Ogbia Regional Water Project, in Bayelsa
o Sabke/Dutsi/Mashi Water Supply Project, in Katsina
o Northern Ishan Regional Water Supply Project, serving Ugboha and
Uromi communities of Edo State.
o Kashimbila Dam, Taraba State
o Ogwashi-Uku Dam, Delta State (Actual Dam completed and reservoir
“impounded” in 2016; also spillway discharge channel
completed).
o Shagari Dam Irrigation Project, Sokoto State
o Mangu Dam and Regional Water Supply Scheme in Plateau State
o Completion of Phase 1 of Galma Dam, Kaduna
o Rehabilitation of Ojirami Dam Water Supply Project, Edo State
• The 25 Road Projects being funded by the Sukuk Bonds:
o Construction of Oju/Loko–Oweto bridge over River Benue to link
Loko (Nasarawa state) and Oweto (Benue state) along route F2384
o Dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road section I (International
Airport link road junction–Sheda Village)
o Dualisation of Suleja–Minna Road in Niger State Phase II (km
40+000-km101+000)
o Dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja Road: Section IV Koton
Karfe–Lokoja in Kogi State
o Dualisation of Lokoja-Benin Road: Obajana–Okene in Kogi State
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section III (Azare–Potiskum)
in Bauchi
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section IV (Potiskum–Damaturu
road) in Yobe
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section V
(Damaturu–Maiduguri)
o Dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road linking
Kano–Jigawa–Bauchi–Yobe–Borno States. Section I (Kano–Wudil–Shuari)
in Kano
o Dualisation of Kano–Katsina Road Phase I, Kano Town at Dawanau
roundabout to Katsina border in Kano
o Construction of Kano Western Bypass as an extension of
dualisation of Kano–Maiduguri Road Section I
o Construction of Kaduna Eastern Bypass
o Rehabilitation of outstanding section of Onitsha–Enugu
Expressway: Amansea–Enugu border
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage Section I:
Lokpanta–Umuahia in Abia
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt dual-carriage Section II
Umuahia tower–Aba Township Rail
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt Road Section III:
Enugu–Lokpanta
o Rehabilitation of Enugu–Port Harcourt Road Section IV: Aba–Port
Harcourt in Rivers
o Dualisation of Yenegwe Road Junction–Kolo–Otuoke–Bayelsa Palm in
Bayelsa
o Dualisation of Lokoja–Benin Road: Obajana Junction–Benin Section
II Phase I: Okene–Auchi, Kogi/Edo states
o Dualisation of Lokoja–Benin Road: Obajana Junction–Benin Section
III Phase I: Auchi–Ehor in Edo
o Dualisation of Lokoja-Benin Road: Obajana junction–Benin Section
IV Phase I: Ehor–Benin City, Edo state
o Reconstruction and asphalt overlay of
Benin–Ofosu–Ore–Ajebandele–Shagamu dual-carriage Phase IV
o Reconstruction of outstanding section of sections of
Benin–Ofusu–Ore–Ajebandele–Shagamu dual-carriage Phase III
o Dualisation of Ibadan–Ilorin Road. Section II: Oyo–Ogbomosho Road
in Oyo
Power Sector:
• The Federal Government’s Energizing Economies Programme is a
public-private partnership led by the Rural Electrification Agency
(REA), to deliver stable power supply to markets and economic
clusters across the country. The initial phase is ongoing in
Ariaria Market in Aba, Abia State (32,000 shops), Sura Shopping
Complex in Lagos (1,000 shops), Shomolu Printing Community in Lagos
(4,000 shops) and the Sabon Gari Market in Kano (12,000 shops). The
Sura Shopping Complex project was completed in August 2018, and
commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in October 2018.
• Launch of a 1.3 Trillion Naira Payment Assurance Programme
designed to resolve the liquidity challenges in the Power Sector by
guaranteeing payments to Generating Companies and Gas
Suppliers.
• Implementation of a Willing Buyer, Willing Seller Policy for the
power sector, which has opened up opportunities for increased
delivery of electricity to homes and industries. The Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has also recently issued
an Order capping estimated billing by DisCos.
• More than 90 Transmission Projects completed or ongoing since
2016.
Oil and Gas:
• NNPC is set to commence construction of the 614km
Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) natural gas pipeline, which will
traverse Kogi, Niger, FCT, Kaduna and Kano, and feed power plants
and industries along the corridor. NNPC has paid the 15 percent
counterpart funding for the $2.9 billion project, while the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) has approved the issuance of a sovereign
guarantee to cover the rest of the funding, coming from the China
Export and Credit Insurance Corporation.
• Nigeria LNG Limited concluded Final Investment Decision (FID) on
its Train 7 project at the end of 2019, and signed an EPC contract
for the project in May 2020. A financing arrangement worth 3
billion US dollars was also concluded, the largest financing deal
in Africa so far in 2020. NNPC owns a 49 percent stake in NLNG, on
behalf of the Nigerian Government.
• Controversial Offshore Processing Arrangement (OPA) has been
cancelled and replaced with a ‘Direct Sales and Direct Purchase
(DSDP)’ scheme with reputable offshore refineries.
• The Passage of the long overdue Deep Offshore and Inland Basin
PSC (Amendment) Act, 2019, which will deliver increased revenues to
the Federation.
• Negotiation of the billions of dollars in arrears of Cash Calls
we inherited when we assumed office, resulting in an agreement for
a significant discount of $1.7 billion. Since 2017 the NNPC has
commenced payment of the arrears to the Oil Companies, with a view
to clearing the backlog. As at Q4 2018, about $2 billion of the
$5.5 billion arrears had been cleared.
• Removal of the fuel subsidy regime and replacement by a
market-led price modulation mechanism.
• The Modular Refinery Initiative of the Buhari Administration has
delivered 3 completed private sector-led projects, in Rivers, Imo
and Delta States, and several others are in progress. Eminent
persons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo have publicly
commended the success recorded in that sector by the Buhari
Administration.
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
• The SIP is the largest and most ambitious social safety net
programme in the history of Nigeria, with 12 million direct
beneficiaries so far:
• 500,000 N-Power beneficiaries currently enrolled and have been
deployed and are receiving N30,000 in monthly stipends. Additional
40,000 are at various stages of enrolment.
Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP):
• ₦36.9 billion so far disbursed in interest-free loans ranging
from N50,000 to N350,000 to more than 2.3 million market women,
traders, artisans, farmers across all 36 States of the country and
the FCT, under GEEP, using locally developed and implemented
technology solutions (More than half of the loans have gone to
women).
• In terms of advancing the financial inclusion goals of the Buhari
Administration, GEEP has led to the opening of 2,023,145 new mobile
wallets for beneficiaries.
• In November 2017, GEEP was chosen as the pilot programme for the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Policy Innovation Unit in
Nigeria.
Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP):
• 9.9 million Primary 1 – 3 pupils in 54,952 public primary schools
in 35 States. More than 107,000 cooks are engaged to deliver these
meals.
• The NHGSFP reduces hunger and malnutrition, and improves
education outcomes (boosts school enrolment); farmers and produce
‘aggregators’ also benefit from improved access to school feeding
markets and communities, and by extension improved incomes.
Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT):
• More than 3 million poor and vulnerable households have been
registered on the National Social Register, and more than one
million of these families are currently benefiting from the CCT
Scheme, which pays N5,000 to each household monthly.
Education
Grants and Disbursements: The Federal Government has disbursed more
than 170 billion Naira in UBE Matching Grants to States and the FCT
since 2015, 8 billion Naira in Special Education Grant to States
and private providers of Special Education, and 34 billion Naira
from the Teachers Professional Development Fund to States and the
FCT.
Approval for the establishment of the following:
• Federal Maritime University, in Delta State
• Nigerian Army University, in Borno State
• Six new Colleges of Education (one per geopolitical zone)
Transfer of Almajiri Schools built by the previous administration
to State Governments and credible Scholars of Islamic Education,
for efficient administration and impact.
Healthcare
• Grants to State Governments: A minimum of $2.5 million disbursed
to each State of the Federation and the FCT, under the Saving One
Million Lives (SOML) initiative, to improve health outcomes.
• Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF): For the first time
since the National Health Act was passed in 2014, the Federal
Government included the 1% minimum portion of the Consolidated
Revenue Fund – amounting to 55 billion Naira – in the 2018 budget,
to fund the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF). The Fund is
designed to deliver a guaranteed set health services to all
Nigerians, through the national network of Primary Health Care
centers.
• Passage of Enabling Legislation for the Nigeria Center for
Disease Control (NCDC), for the first time since it was founded in
2011. President Buhari approved a grant of 5 billion Naira for the
NCDC in March 2020.
• Tertiary Healthcare Upgrade Programme: A number of key Federal
Hospitals across the country are being upgraded to effectively
manage cancer and other major health challenges. Cancer
Radiotherapy machines and other equipment are being provided to
these hospitals. The National Hospital in Abuja has already
received two LINAC (cancer treatment) machines.
Sports and Creative Industry
• Nigeria national U-17 football team, the Golden Eaglets, won the
FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fifth time, in 2015. Their first ever
win was 30 years earlier, in 1985, when President Buhari was
military Head of State.
• Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Paralympic Games yielded her
best gold medal result since Nigeria started taking part in the
Games in 1992.
• D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team won the
2017 FIBA Africa Women’s Championship, the continental championship
Cup, for the first time in 12 years, and earned qualification for
its first FIBA Women’s World Cup appearance since 2006.
• In 2018, D’ Tigress, Nigeria’s Female National Basketball Team
earned its first-ever win at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, and went
on to advance to the quarterfinals. The Team finished in 8th place
– the best ever performance by an African Team.
• In 2019, D’ Tigress successfully defended its 2017 Afro
Basketball Women Championship Title.
• In 2020, D’ Tigress became the only female African Team to
qualify for participation in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
• Nigeria’s Women’s Football Team, the Super Falcons, won the
African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in 2016 and 2018.
• In 2018, the National Sports Festival held for the first time
since 2012.
• In 2018, Nigeria hosted a FIFA Executive Football Summit, one of
twelve worldwide.
• In 2019, the Super Falcons advanced to the group stage of the
Women’s World Cup, for the first time in 20 years.
• In 2019, Nigeria won its first Athletics World Championship Medal
in six years.
Creative Industry Support
• Establishment of the Creative Industry Financing Initiative
(CIFI), by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with
the Bankers’ Committee, to provide single-digit financing to young
Nigerians in the fields of Fashion, Film, Music and Information
Technology.
• In 2019, the Federal Government added Creative Industries to the
list of qualifying sectors for ‘Pioneer Status’ Incentives – which
grants relief from Corporate Income Tax for a specified period of
time.
• Presidential Approval for the handover of the National Theatre,
Lagos, to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bankers Committee,
for redevelopment into a world-class Creative Park serving the
theatre, film, fashion, music, and ICT sectors.
• In 2017, Nigeria was elected Vice-President of United Nations
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
NEW VISION FOR THE NIGER DELTA
The Buhari administration’s ‘New Vision for the Niger Delta’ brings
together a robust set of promises, solutions, targets and
initiatives aimed at ensuring that the people of the Niger Delta
benefit maximally from the region’s oil wealth.
The New Vision offers a detailed response to the 16-point Demand
Agenda submitted to President Buhari by the Pan Niger Delta Forum
(PANDEF) in November 2016.
Tangible results of the New Vision so far include:
• Take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta
State. The University was granted approval in January 2018 by the
National Universities Commission (NUC) to commence undergraduate
degree programmes effective 2017/18 session, and commenced academic
activities on April 12, 2018.
• President Buhari approved 5 billion Naira in take-off grant for
the Maritime University.
• Ogoni Clean-Up: Setting aside of US$170m seed funding for the
Ogoni Clean Up, in an Escrow Account established for that purpose.
The Escrow Agreement Signing Ceremony took place in April 2018. The
Clean-Up commenced in January 2019, with the handover of the first
batch of sites to the selected remediation firms, after a
painstaking procurement process.
• Approvals for the establishment of private-sector-led Modular
Refineries across the nine States of the Niger Delta – the first
three Refineries have now been completed, while construction is
ongoing on others.
ANTI-CORRUPTION & TRANSPARENCY FISCAL REFORMS; PLUGGING
LEAKAGES
New Whistleblowing Policy:
• The new Whistleblowing Policy introduced by the Federal Ministry
of Finance in December 2016 has since then yielded several billions
of Naira in recoveries from tax evaders and public officials. (In
the first two years alone it yielded N7.8 billion, US$378million,
and £27,800 in recoveries from public officials targeted by
whistleblowers).
• Development of draft Whistleblowing and Witness Protection Bill
2019
• EFCC recovered 794 billion Naira between 2015 and 2019, in
addition to hundreds of properties and other assets.
• ICPC scrutiny of practices, systems and procedures of MDAs’
personnel cost from 2017 to 2019, yielded more than 41 billion
Naira in recoveries from inflated personnel budgets.
• In 2019 alone, ICPC recovered 32 billion Naira worth of Land,
Buildings and Vehicles.
• ICPC’s audit of Constituency Projects covering 2015 to 2018
helped recover 2 billion Naira of diverted funds and assets.
Increased Oversight of MDAs
The Buhari Administration is addressing the issue of poor levels of
remittance of operating surpluses by MDAs. From remitting only N51
million between 2010 and 2016, JAMB has gone on to remit more than
20 billion Naira to the Federal Government since 2017.
The Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA):
• PICA was set up by the Buhari Administration to strengthen
controls over Government finances through a continuous internal
audit process across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies
(MDAs), particularly in respect of payroll. Through the activities
of PICA, more than 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries have been
identified and removed, with payroll savings of N200 billion per
annum.
Expansion of TSA Coverage:
• On August 7, 2015, President Buhari issued a directive to all
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to close their accounts
with Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and transfer their balances to the
Central Bank of Nigeria on or before 15th September 2015.
• The TSA system was launched in 2012, but failed to gain traction
until President Buhari’s executive order in August 2015. As of May
2018, the TSA system has been implemented in 92 percent of all
MDAs.
• The TSA allows managers of Government’s finances, including but
not limited to the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the
Accountant-General of the Federation, to have, at any point in
time, a comprehensive overview of cash flows across the entire
Government.
• This decision to fully operationalize the Treasury Single Account
(TSA) system—a public accounting system that enables the Government
to manage its finances (revenues and payments) using a
single/unified account, or series of linked accounts domiciled at
the Central Bank of Nigeria — has resulted in the consolidation of
more than 17,000 bank accounts previously spread across DMBs in the
country, and in savings of an average of N4 billion monthly in
banking charges.
• The TSA has brought the following benefits:
o Improves transparency and accountability in the management of all
FGN receipts by providing a consolidated view of Government’s cash
flow.
o Blocks the leakages and abuses which hitherto characterized
Public Finance Management in Nigeria.
o Ensures availability of funds for the execution of government
policies, programmes and projects
o Controls aggregate cash flows within fiscal and monetary
limits
o Improves management of domestic borrowing programme
o Enables investments of idle funds
• The Ministry of Finance continues to fine-tune the system to
improve its efficiency, and has also commenced an audit to ensure
that all funds due to the TSA are remitted into it.
Expansion of IPPIS Coverage
In spite of great opposition, the Buhari Administration has
expanded IPPIS coverage to the Armed Forces, as well as Federal
Universities and other academic institutions.
Deployment of BVN for Payroll and Social Investment Programmes:
• Considering that personnel costs are the Federal Government’s
largest expenditure line, the Federal Government has given priority
to the deployment of the BVN for payroll and pension audits. The
use of BVN to verify payroll entries on the Integrated Personnel
Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform has so far led to the
detection of 54,000 fraudulent payroll entries.
• The Federal Government has also ensured the deployment of BVN
system to serve as the verification basis for payments to
beneficiaries and vendors in the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP),
the N-Power Scheme and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme
(HGSFP)
Creation of Asset Tracking and Management Project
• The Federal Ministry of Finance launched the Asset Tracking and
Management Project (ATM Project) in 2016. By the ATM Project, the
Federal Government is, for the first time, able to locate,
identify, assess and evaluate all its moveable and immoveable
assets on a real time basis.
• Also, a Central Asset Register was created and domiciled in the
Ministry for recording the actual quantity, value, condition and
location of all the capital assets belonging to the Federal
Government. These initiatives are in line with the requirements of
the International Public-Sector Reporting Standard (IPSAS), which
has been implemented by the Ministry of Finance.
Replacement of old Cash-Based Accounting System with an
Accruals-Based System:
• Accruals-based accounting, in addition to providing greater
transparency in public financial management, provides comprehensive
information on Government’s current and projected cash flows,
leading to better cash management. For example, the conversion from
cash accounting to accrual accounting led to the discovery of
unrecorded debts owed contractors, oil marketers, exporters,
electricity distribution companies and others.
Enlistment into Open Government Partnership (OGP):
• In May 2016, President Buhari attended and participated in the
International Anti-Corruption Summit organised by the UK
Government. At that Summit he pledged that Nigeria would join the
OGP, an international transparency, accountability and citizen
engagement initiative.
• In July 2016, Nigeria became the 70th country to join the OGP.
Following this, Nigeria constituted an OGP National Steering
Committee (NSC), which went on to develop a National Action Plan
(2017–2019) that aims to deepen and mainstream transparency
mechanisms and citizens’ engagement in the management of public
resources across all sectors.
• In 2018, Nigeria was elected to lead the OGP, alongside
Argentina, France, and Romania. All four new members of the OGP
Steering Committee will serve for three years starting on October
1, 2018.
Creation of Efficiency Unit (EU) to spearhead the efficient use of
government resources, and ensure reduction in Recurrent
Expenditure:
• The Efficiency Unit was set up in November 2015, to reduce
wastages, promote efficiency, ensure prudence and add value for
money in all government expenditures.
• The Unit monitors Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of
government, identifying and eliminating wasteful spending,
duplication and other inefficiencies, and identifying best
practices in procurement and financial management
JUSTICE REFORMS
Establishment of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption
(PACAC)
• PACAC was established by President Buhari in August 2015 to,
among other things; promote the reform agenda of the government on
the anti-corruption effort, and advise the present administration
in the prosecution of the war against corruption and the
implementation of required reforms in Nigeria’s criminal justice
system. It was the very first committee the President set up after
he was sworn into office.
• PACAC has empowered Judges and Prosecutors to operate effectively
in carrying out their responsibilities through Workshops on the new
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
• PACAC has:
o Trained both Federal and States Prosecutors on proper drafting of
charges.
o Helped anti-corruption agencies devise clearer strategies for
obtaining forfeiture of assets suspected to have been acquired
fraudulently, mainly from State Coffers, before prosecuting
suspected culprits. Part of this work has involved painstakingly
reviewing existing Laws (like the Money Laundering Act, 2004, the
EFCC Act, 2004 and the ICPC Act, 2000), to identify and highlight
sections directly conferring powers of forfeiture on Nigeria’s
anticorruption agencies. This advocacy has led to a significant
increase in the use of Non-Conviction Based Asset Forfeiture
Mechanisms by anti-corruption agencies;
o Organized workshops for the Management and Protection of Assets,
and recommended the establishment of a Central Asset Management
Committee – the Presidential Committee on Asset Recovery (PCAR),
headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, which superintends a
dedicated Central Bank Account that receives all recovered funds,
for coordination and transparency of management and oversight.
o Produced manuals, protocols and Standard Operating Procedures to
assist ACAs in their work. These include the Corruption Case
Management Manual; the Plea Bargaining Manual; Sentencing
Guidelines in High Profile Cases; the Framework for the Management
of Recovered Stolen Assets, Asset Recovery Strategy Document,
Corruption Case Management Manual; Framework for the Management of
Recovered Stolen Assets; etc.
o Drafted a Bill for the establishment of Special Crimes Court
o Initiated the whistle blower policy of the Federal Government
(see Whistleblower Policy for details)
Domestic Legislation & International Agreements
• President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Mutual Assistance in
Criminal Matters Bill, an Executive Bill, into law in 2019,
following passage by the National Assembly. The Bill facilitates
the identification, tracing, freezing, restraining, recovery,
forfeiture and confiscation of proceeds, property and other
instrumentalities of crime, as well as the prosecution of offenders
in criminal cases regardless of where in the world they might
be.
• Nigeria has signed Agreements and MOUs with various countries to
boost international cooperation for the investigation, tracking,
freezing and return of stolen assets.
Prisons Reform:
• The completion, in 2019, of the first fundamental reform of the
Nigeria Prisons Act in almost 50 years, resulting in the
establishment of the Nigerian Correctional Service to replace the
Nigerian Prisons Service.
• Launch of New Prison Information Management System: The Pilot
Project was completed at Kuje Prison, and launched in July 2017
with the installation of a new data management system (the first of
its kind in any prison in Nigeria), as well as Hardware equipment
(computers, server, LAN connectivity, webcams, etc). National
rollout being worked on. Deployment will be in 86 Nigeria
Correctional Service locations across 16 States.
• Also as part of Criminal Justice Reforms, President Buhari in
2020 granted amnesty to 2,600 prisoners nationwide, representing
about 3.5 percent of all inmates, in a bid to decongest Nigeria’s
prison population. The beneficiaries were those 60 years and above;
those suffering from ill-health that might likely lead to death;
convicts serving three years and above and have less than six
months to serve; inmates with mental health defect; and inmates
with a pending fine not exceeding N50,000 and with no pending
cases.
SECURITY
• Nigeria’s Law Enforcement Agencies have significantly scaled up
their footprint across the country – Operation Whirl Stroke in the
North Central, Operation Ex-Swift Response in border areas, several
new Forward Operating Bases, Quick Response Wings, Commando
Training Schools, and so on, and deployments of Special Forces. The
Buhari Administration has rolled out the most significant response
to Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges, since 1999.
• Increased Investments in Arms and Weapons: Government to
Government military deals with the Governments of the US, China,
Russia, Pakistan, and so on have helped eliminate expensive and
opaque middlemen. In April 2020, a first batch of 17 military
vehicles (VT-4 main battle tanks, ST-1 wheeled tank destroyers,
self-propelled howitzers etc) arrived from China, for the fight
against Boko Haram.
• Nigerian Air Force has acquired 22 brand new aircraft since
President Buhari assumed office in 2015, and is expecting another
16 (including the 12 Super Tucano currently on order from the
United States Government, and due for delivery starting 2021). The
NAF is also locally re-activating several previously unserviceable
planes.
• President Buhari resuscitated the Ministry of Police Affairs in
2019, to oversee the development and implementation of strategies
to enhance internal security in Nigeria
• President Buhari approved the recruitment of 10,000 new Police
Officers annually.
• President Buhari signed into law, in 2019, the Bill establishing
the Police Trust Fund, which will significantly improve funding for
the Nigeria Police Force.
• Nigeria Police Force launched a new National Command and Control
Center in Abuja in 2019
• President Buhari has approved and implemented new Salary Packages
for the Military and Police.
• Establishment of Operation Whirl Stroke in May 2018, to curtail
violence in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States. OPWS has recorded
remarkable success in tackling armed herders, cultists, kidnappers
and bandits in its sphere of operation, and brought tension levels
down from the escalated levels seen in 2017/2018.
Northeast
• Revitalization of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF),
aimed at combating trans-border crime and the Boko Haram
insurgency.
• El-Kanemi Warriors Football Club returned to their home base in
Maiduguri in April 2016, two years after relocating to Katsina
State because of the insurgency
• Emirs of Askira and Uba returned home in May 2016, two years
after fleeing their Palaces on account of the Boko Haram
insurgency
• Public Secondary Schools resumed in Borno State on Monday
September 26, 2016, after two years of closure
• Maiduguri-Gubio and Maiduguri-Monguno Roads reopened in December
2016, after being closed for three years.
• Capture of Boko Haram’s operational and spiritual headquarters,
“Camp Zero”, in Sambisa Forest, in December 2016. Following this
the Nigerian Army conducted its Small Arms Championship from 26th
to 31st March 2017, a measure aimed at enabling the Armed forces to
dominate the area, and avoid regrouping by the terrorists.
• Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Borno
State Chapter declared the 2017 Easter Celebrations as the best and
safest since 2009.
• Arik Air resumed flights to Maiduguri in May 2017, three years
after suspending operations to the city.
• Nigerian Military reopened Maiduguri-Bama-Banki Road in March
2018, four years after it was seized by Boko Haram.
• More than a million displaced persons have returned to their
homes and communities across the Northeast, since 2015.
• Thousands of hostages have been freed from Boko Haram captivity,
including 106 of the Chibok Girls abducted in April 2014, and 105
of the Dapchi Girls abducted in February 2018.
North Central and North West
• In May 2018 the Defence Headquarters kicked off ‘Operation Whirl
Stroke’ (OPWS) – featuring a Joint Military Intervention Force
(JMIF), comprising Regular and Special Forces personnel from the
Army, Air Force and Navy, and working in collaboration with the
Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security (DSS), and
Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) – to counter armed
herdsmen and militia groups operating in and around Benue,
Nasarawa, Taraba States. OPWS has been very successful in restoring
calm to its area of coverage.
• Reorganization of existing Security Operations targeting
banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the North West led to
establishment of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) by Defence
Headquarters in May 2019.
• Establishment in 2019 of Joint Task Force Operation THUNDER
STRIKE (JTF OPTS) by Defence Headquarters to tackle kidnappers,
bandits, cattle rustlers, and other criminal activities along major
highways and adjoining villages around Kaduna-Abuja axis.
• Establishment by Nigerian Air Force of Quick Response Wings (QRW)
in Benue (21 QRW), Nasarawa (22 QRW), Taraba (23 QRW) and Katsina
States, and a Quick Response Group in Zamfara State (QRG 207), and
deployment of Special Forces to these QRWs/QRG.
• Nigerian Air Force has also established Forward Operations Bases
(FOB) in Kaduna and Katsina States
• Flag-off of Nigerian Army 2 Battalion Forward Operating Base
(FOB) in Kanfanin Doka Village, Birnin-Gwari, Kaduna State.
• Training and deployment of hundreds of Special Forces personnel
by the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force
DIPLOMACY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Re-establishment of Nigeria’s position and influence in the
regional and global arena. Fragile/broken relations with the United
States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and with neighbouring
countries (Chad, Niger, Cameroon) have been revived and
strengthened since June 2015.
Nigeria’s prominent participation in the London Anti-Corruption
Summit and the Commonwealth Conference on Tackling Corruption, in
May, 2016 in London.
Major outcomes/results/manifestations of Nigeria’s renewed
visibility and respect on the International Stage:
• The positions of Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations,
President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), President of the
International Criminal Court (ICC), Secretary-General of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), African
Development Bank, and African Export–Import Bank are all currently
held by Nigerians.
• The signing, in August 2016, of an MoU with the UK Government on
modalities for the return of Nigeria’s stolen assets in the UK.
• The establishment of a Global Forum for Asset Recovery (GFAR),
hosted by the governments of the US and UK in December 2017, to
focus on assisting Nigeria and three other countries to reclaim
their stolen assets.
• Nigeria joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) in 2016 and
developed a National Action Plan, which is already being
implemented.
• In 2016 Nigeria signed an Agreement on the identification and
repatriation of Illicit Funds with the United Arab Emirates during
President Buhari’s Visit to that country.
• The Federal Government under President Buhari has successfully
engaged the governments of Switzerland, Jersey Island, United
States, United Arab Emirates, and Liechtenstein among others, in an
effort to ensure the repatriation of Nigeria’s stolen assets.
• A total of US$622 million in looted Abacha funds repatriated to
Nigeria in two tranches in December 2017 and April 2020. The first
tranche ($322m) is being disbursed as part of the Buhari
Administration’s Social Investment Programme interventions, while
the second tranche ($311m) is being invested in the Presidential
Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF), managed by the Nigeria
Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
• Under President Buhari’s watch, Nigeria has been playing an
active and stabilizing role in OPEC. In 2017 Nigeria was able to
successfully negotiate a vital exemption from production cuts
agreed at the time, a move that helped shore up revenues and
foreign reserves.
• The Buhari Administration has mobilized International Support for
the War against Boko Haram, forging strong partnerships with key
countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France
and Germany, ECOWAS, the AU, the UN, and others. After years of
stalemate, the United States finally agreed to sell – and has sold
– weapons to Nigeria, (12 Super Tucano Aircraft)
• Revamp of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) comprising
troops from Nigeria and Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin.
• The designation of President Buhari as the African Union (AU)
Anti-Corruption Champion for 2018
• The designation of President Buhari by ECOWAS Heads of State as
West Africa’s Covid-19 Champion in 2020.
• President Buhari’s interventions have helped restore and
strengthen democracy in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau. He authorized
the deployment of troops, fighter jets and warships to The Gambia
during the impasse that followed the December 2016 Presidential
elections.
• Successful evacuation and repatriation of more than 10,000
Nigerian migrants from Libya, with the support and partnership of
the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Bilateral Relations:
CHINA:
• Billions of dollars in concessional infrastructure funding for
critical road and rail projects. President Buhari’s April 2016
official visit to China has unlocked billions of dollars in
infrastructure funding, primarily for road and rail projects;
• Implementation of a Chinese Yuan (CNY) 15 billion Currency Swap
Agreement between the Peoples Bank of China and the Central Bank of
Nigeria.
GERMANY
• Support for the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI), six-year
Programme to modernise Nigeria’s electricity grid, under a
Government-to-Government framework between the Nigerian and German
Governments; to be managed and implemented by Siemens AG.
• Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria
Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending
(NIRSAL) and Petkus Technologie of Germany, aimed at significantly
reducing the incidence/impact of post-harvest losses in Nigeria’s
Agriculture Value Chain.
• Signing of a MoU with Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA) to
develop a joint vision for an automotive hub in Nigeria.
UNITED STATES (USA)
• Renewed cooperation in Security and Anti-Corruption. The US
Government has approved the sale of 12 Super Tucano Aircraft to
Nigeria, as well as repatriation of recovered looted monies and
assets stashed in the US.
• Nigerian and U.S. militaries collaborated to host, April 2018 in
Abuja, the 2018 African Land Forces Summit, the largest gathering
of African Army chiefs, to discuss cooperation aimed at improving
security on the continent.
UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
• 2018: Nigeria commenced the implementation of Automatic Exchange
of Tax Information (AETI) protocol with the United Kingdom. This
Protocol will provide the Nigerian Government with data on bank
accounts, property and trusts held in the UK by Nigerian nationals,
and will support the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme
(VAIDS) by allowing Nigerian tax authorities to check the accuracy
of declarations received regarding overseas assets and income.
• 2018: Launch of a UK-Government funded £13 million education
programme that will provide training for teachers, school
equipment, and security for schools, for 100,000 children living in
parts of the Northeast affected by Boko Haram.
SOUTH AFRICA:
The SA-Nigeria Bi-National Commission was in 2019 elevated from
Vice Presidential to Presidential Level, as a symbol of a renewed
commitment to cooperation between Africa’s two largest
economies.
MOROCCO:
• The Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, PFI (which involves a
partnership with the Government of Morocco, for the supply of
phosphate, as well as technical assistance), has resulted in the
revitalization of 14 blending plants across Nigeria.
• As part of the PFI, in 2018 Nigeria and Morocco signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (between OCP of Morocco and the Nigeria
Sovereign Investment Authority) on the establishment of a Basic
Chemicals Platform, specifically to develop a significant Ammonia
Production Plant in the Niger Delta.
RUSSIA:
• Government-to-Government Arms Deal involving the supply of 12
Attack Helicopters to Nigeria
• Resuscitation Deal for the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill, agreed by
Presidents Buhari and Putin, during the Russia Africa Summit in
2019. The Russian Government has agreed to support the completion
and full operationalization of the plant.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE):
• Nigeria has signed and ratified an Extradition Treaty with the
United Arab Emirates that allows extradition of Nigerians who flee
to the UAE after committing crimes in Nigeria.
• The Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has seen
inflows of around US$2 billion under the Buhari Administration.
These are the first government inflows since the original US$1
billion which the Fund kicked off with in 2012.
SAUDI ARABIA:
• Relations with Saudi Arabia have greatly improved. During the
Future Investment Initiative (FII) in 2019, President Buhari met
separately and held extensive talks with the King Salman bin
Abdulaziz, and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS; as
well as the leadership of ARAMCO and the Saudi Sovereign Wealth
Fund.
• One of the outcomes of the Saudi Visit was the agreement by the
two governments to set up a joint Saudi-Nigeria Strategic Council,
made up of government officials and businessmen from both
countries, and which will focus on economic growth and development,
investments in oil and non-oil sectors, and security
cooperation.
CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
“In Nigeria, we are taking a two-step approach. First, to protect
the lives of our fellow Nigerians and residents living here and
second, to preserve the livelihoods of workers and business owners
to ensure their families get through this very difficult time in
dignity and with hope and peace of mind.” – President Buhari
• The Federal Government of Nigeria is rolling out several measures
and directives on healthcare, border security, and fiscal and
monetary policies in response to the pandemic. More measures are
coming.
• The President has set up an Economic Sustainability Committee
chaired by Vice President Osinbajo, to develop a comprehensive
economic plan to respond to the disruptions and dislocations caused
by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The President has also set up a Presidential Task Force on
#COVID-19, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Boss Mustapha, with Dr. Sani Aliyu as the National
Coordinator. The PTF is coordinating Nigeria’s multi-sectoral
inter-governmental approach to COVID-19.
• The President also set up a Committee made up of the Minister and
Minister of State of Finance, Budget and National Planning,
Minister of State Petroleum Resources, Governor of the Central Bank
of Nigeria and Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to assess the impact of COVID-19 on
the 2020 Budget and to recommend appropriate and immediate response
strategies.
President Buhari has also approved the following:
• Establishment of a 500 billion Naira COVID-19 Crisis Intervention
Fund, for the upgrading of health facilities nationwide, finance a
national Special Public Works Programme, as well as any other
interventions that may be approved in the future.
• Release of special intervention grants of 10 billion Naira and 5
billion Naira to the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Center
for Disease Control (NCDC) respectively, to facilitate the Covid-19
Response.
• Immediate Release of 70,000 Metric Tonnes of Grain for
distribution to poor and vulnerable households across the
country.
• Establishment of a Joint Technical Task Team to facilitate the
movement of food and agricultural inputs across Nigeria, during the
Coronavirus lockdown.
• Commencement of a three-month repayment moratorium for all
TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans, with immediate
effect.
• Commencement of a three-month moratorium for all Federal
Government funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of
Agriculture and the Nigeria Export Import Bank.
• Presidential directive for immediate Expansion of National Social
Register (official database for implementation of the Conditional
Cash Transfer programme) by 1 million additional households.
• Implementation of Modified version of National Home Grown School
Feeding Programme, to deliver dry food rations to households of
pupils already benefiting from the NHGSFP.