President Muhamadu Buhari who is also the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress Party (APC) has unveiled his manifesto ahead of next year’s General Election. The document titled “Next Level” highlights programs and plans the Buhari-led administration intends to execute if re-elected at the polls. The document was presented to the public in Abuja yesterday.
Highlights of the “Next Level” Agenda includes:
Jobs Creation
- The Next Level is to engage 1 million N-Power graduates.
- Skill up 10 million Nigerians under a voucher system in partnership with the private sector.
- Provide $500 million Innovation fund to tech and the creative sector to create 500,000 jobs.
- Train 200,000 youth for outsourcing market in technology, services and entertainment.
Infrastructure
- Complete the Ibadan-Kano phase of the Lagos-Ibadan-Kano rail.
- Complete Eastern Rail (Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri), taking the network through Aba, all South-east state capitals, Makurdi, Jos, Bauchi and Gombe.
- Complete the coastal rail (Lagos-Calabar).
- Complete the 2nd Niger Bridge connecting Anambra and Delta states.
- Complete the East-West Road connecting Warri, Delta to Oron, Akwa-Ibom, through Kaiama and Port-Harcourt in Balyesa and Rivers respectively.
- Complete the link bridge on Itakpe-Warri rail to Abuja through Lokoja.
Power
- A minimum of 1,000MW new generation incremental power capacity per annum on the Grid to bring to a total of a minimum of 11,000MW.
- Distribution to get to 7,000MW under the distribution expansion program.
- 9 Universities will have an uninterrupted power supply.
- Execute the Nigeria Electrification Project, NEPA, a $550 million Rural Electrification Program which is supported by the World Bank/AfDB to create a pipeline of private local investments and financial incentives to catalyse the Nigerian off-grid market for standalone solar solutions.
Economy and SMEs
- Soft Loans of up to N1 million to small traders, and commercial drivers.
- Take current 2.3 million traders, farmers artisans under the Trader Moni, Market Moni and Farmer Moni schemes to 10 million Nigerians under the People Moni Scheme.
- Soft Loans to support business ideas across the different value chain.
- Online Bank: Account opening, Credit Rating done with technology.
Ease of Doing business
- Legislate and enforce deadlines for the issuance of Government licenses and permits.
- Simplify investment, customs, immigration, trade and production procedures.
Security and Anti-Corruption
- Decentralise the funding of police operations and implement a direct transfer of funding to the Police Division all across.
- Execute the second phase of the Farmer-Herder and National Livestock Policy to end the decades-long conflict between farmers and herders.
- To eliminate the scope of systemic corruption, we will emphasise technology enabled e-Governance.
Technology
- Create a vibrant Gig economy around business process outsourcing, technology, creative sector, with flexibility, e-lancing and freelancing as key features.
- Drive the procurement of start-up services by promoting quota for tech startups.
- Support private sector-led technology hubs by providing grants, equity and loans.
- Move broad band coverage to 120,00km of fibre network across Nigeria.