SAN FRANCISCO, July 14, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has declared that those who accuse the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of not having an economic plan are ignorant of the workings of government.
He insisted that the Federal Government is very focused on the economy and has a clear economic plan to transform the country.
The Minister, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, stated this on Thursday when he received Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria Sadanobu Kusaoke, in Abuja.
His words, “Those who think we do not have an economic plan have not taken the pains to check out our plan.
“We are working to reflate the economy, provide more jobs, invest in infrastructure, power, railways and roads and by so doing create the enabling environment for industries to thrive.”
Mohammed said there were 34 priority actions to be implemented in the 2016 budget, listing some of them as increasing low interest lending to the Real Sector and implementing measures to achieve self-sufficiency and become net exporters of certain agricultural products.
He said Nigeria would achieve self sufficiency in tomato paste by 2016, rice production by 2018, wheat production by 2019, in addition to increasing local production of maize, soya, poultry and livestock, among others.
The Minister expressed delight at the offer by the Japanese Ambassador to assist in developing the capacity of Nigerian film producers in the area of animation and children films.
”We don’t have enough films for children in Nigeria, and we run the risk of our children watching films that are inappropriate for their age and moral upbringing,” he said, adding that while Nigerian film makers are not lacking in creativity, technology for making animation poses a challenge.
