President Buhari’s New Year address
To welcome the New Year, President Muhammadu Buhari delivered a live nation-wide radio and television broadcast at 7am on Monday January 1, 2018. He began the half-anhour speech with an apology when he said, “I am saddened to acknowledge that for many, this Christmas and New Year holidays have been anything but merry and happy”. He empathized with many Nigerians who could not travel and with those who did but had to pay exorbitant transport fares.
Buhari devoted a substantial part of his speech in explaining government’s efforts at addressing the country’s infrastructural deficit, particularly in the transport and power sectors. He gave details of on-going and proposed rail and road projects including their completion periods. He said while construction of the Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railway is on course, negotiations for the Maiduguri line covering ten other state capitals are to be concluded in the early part of 2018. He said consultations have advanced for the construction of other railway lines that include Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic, passing through Kazaure, Daura, Katsina and Jibia; as well as the Coastal Rail from Lagos to Calabar through 13 towns and cities in the South East and South South.
President Buhari also said the Abuja Light Rail project which was at 64 percent completion when he assumed office is now 98 percent complete. This train service will stimulate economic activities in Abuja. The rail system which covers 12 railway substations over a distance of 45.2 km will also reduce traffic congestion in the city as well as “carbon emission in line with the administration’s policy on climate change.” On roads, he said the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency [FERMA] was reconstituted and charged with a 12-week rapid intervention in the repair of 44 roads covering all the geo-political zones. He also said maintenance of 25 major highways will be funded under the N100billion Sukuk facility, with each geo-political zone benefiting by N16.67billion. He further said government has approved reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, due for completion in 2019.
While admitting that too many people do not have regular and stable electricity supply, he raised the hopes of Nigerians when he announced that repairs carried out on Afam power station added 110Mw in 2017 just as the Katsina power project which is now being tested will add 10Mw of power from wind to the national grid. Whereas the Zungeru700Mw hydroelectric project earlier stalled by court cases is now due for completion in 2019, he said the Mambilla power project is targeted for completion in 2023 with financing commitment from the Chinese Government.
The President did say that these laudable projects are “ambitious targets”. To ensure their timely completion, government must vigorously continue to explore non-oil sectors of the economy to guarantee sustainable sources of funding. Diversification efforts in agriculture and solid mineral sectors have positively impacted on Nigeria’s economy, Buhari also said. Buhari however poured cold water on “restructuring” but assured that his administration is “receptive to ideas which will improve governance and contribute to the country’s peace and stability.” He also advised Nigerians “to learn from the southwestern states who have successfully internalized religion, ethnicity and politics”. On Boko Haram insurgency, he said only isolated attacks have occurred in recent times; adding that terrorism and urban crimes are worldwide phenomena. He said short term measures are being taken to combat incessant cases of kidnapping. He also said government is still engaging responsible leaders of Niger Delta communities “to help in identifying and addressing genuine grievances of the region.”
All in all, the all-inclusive presidential address was re-assuring and hope-inspiring for many Nigerians who, after more than two years into the administration, were losing confidence in its capacity to ameliorate the challenges which the All Progressives Congress vowed, in its campaign promises, to change. To achieve these ambitious targets, President Buhari must be decisive in dealing with every inhibiting factor that seeks to undermine deliberate efforts at fighting corruption, stabilising the economy and bridging infrastructural gaps.