PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh. Says its policies energised the private sector Muazu: How party ensured agricultural revolution . Ahead of the commencement of its presidential campaigns on Thursday in Lagos, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said it had in the last 15 years provided an enabling environment that empowered Nigerian entrepreneurs across board to flourish in business and economy. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said in a
statement that meticulous application by successive PDP administrations of policies as enshrined in the party’s ideology and manifesto has created and sustained an investment-friendly environment and empowered Nigerian businesses to thrive in all spectrums of the economy.
“The growth of the private sector under the PDP has been phenomenal. This did not happen by chance. Our governments at all levels have been guided by our economic policy, which directs the creation of a dynamic economy in which market forces are combined with the forces of partnership, solidarity and cooperation for the benefit of the people.
“The hallmark of the PDP administration remains the policy of transfer of wealth from the public sector to hardworking and enterprising Nigerians. This has not only revived and empowered the private sector but also expanded the nation’s economic frontiers with an unprecedented growth in small and medium scale enterprises, which has helped in providing employment for our citizens across the country.
“The fact remains that under the PDP, Nigerian entrepreneurs have fared better more than ever before. Under our government, more private businesses have sprung up. More banks have been opened and performing well; the telecommunication, oil and gas and manufacturing sectors have witnessed exceptional expansion; more transport companies, hotels, farms, schools and hospitals are springing up; more reputable international retail businesses and food processing concerns have opened in our country.
“Under the PDP, our hitherto weak and unreliable banking sector has been repositioned and strengthened. Today, our nation boasts of a strong and stable banking system which has restored investor confidence and provided support for growth in the other sectors of the economy. Nigerian banks are now growing stronger with many of them having hundreds of branches and business offices locally and internationally.
“Also, following the conducive business environment created by successive PDP administrations, the telecommunications sector has witnessed tremendous expansion in the last 15 years with firms such as Globacom, Etisalat, MTN, Airtel among others opening new lines and empowering millions of our people through direct and indirect employment and access to global business connections.
“In the same vein, we have witnessed a revolution in the retail sector with reputable international concerns establishing in Nigeria and recording impressive performance following the nation’s encouraging demographics and stronger purchasing power of our citizens.
“International retail giants such as Shoprite, Internationale Spar Centrale BV, among others are expanding the retail frontiers. The rebirth of shopping malls in all major cities of the country attests to the empowerment of Nigerian entrepreneurs in this sub-sector.
“In the manufacturing sector, the PDP has not only revived but also revolutionised the nation’s automobile industry. Today, through the New Automobile Industry Policy initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan, vehicles are now being manufactured in our country.
“Automobiles manufactured by Innoson Group, an indigenous firm are competing favoruably in the market. Leading vehicle manufacturers such as Nissan, Hyundai, and Kia, have set up factories in Nigeria and are employing thousands of our people. This is in addition to the revitalisation of Peugeot Nigeria and ANAMCO.
“Hardworking private individuals are now thriving in their business endeavours. Brand names such as the Dangotes, the INTEL Services as well as several others in food processing, hospitality, transport, construction, oil and gas are recording huge successes.
“Even in the media, there has been an unprecedented growth with Nigerians firms thriving and competing favourably in print, electronic and online ventures following the business and media-friendly environment provided by the PDP”.
Noting that the successes recorded so far came through careful planning and execution of its economic strategies, the PDP assured that with continuous implementation of its wealth creation polices, the future of the Nigerian business community is secure with attendant benefits to the citizens.
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu, in an apparent review of the sectoral progress of Jonathan’ administration, said that the propaganda merchants in the leading Nigerian opposition party will never acknowledge the huge leap in agricultural production under the Jonathan administration because of the awesome success story coming out of that sector.
According to Mu’azu in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tony Amadi: “Yet this is a major plank in the PDP strategy in steering Nigeria out of the economic consequences of fatal drops in oil prices. Nigeria’s agricultural production has leaped very high under the present administration because farming input such as fertilizer now reach farmers directly without stress as a result of the transformation in the sector.
“Fertilizer distribution was a veritable source of corruption in Nigeria for nearly three decades until the present administration padlocked the leakage and unleashed massive boost in food production.
The All Progressive Congress are free to move into markets across Nigeria and check out the food price index to confirm our success story and learn to give PDP leadership and the President with some credit.
“The opposition propagandists should also check out who is championing dry season farming in the Northern part of the country. It is time to fight this election based on facts and figures because even the international community are aware of achievements in the sector as they are giving their support to Nigeria’s quest to boost food production.
“Annual food import has dropped from $7 billion to $4.3 billion and still dropping further as rice could actually be exported in the coming years with PDP at the helms. As Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, all I ask the Opposition, APC to do is to give us credit for our achievements that are glaring facts rather than make their own supporters look like fools as their jaundiced propaganda suggest.
“It is important to note that the big drop in corruption in Nigeria as attested by Transparency International has been due to the successes recorded in the PDP strategy of fertilizer distribution which is what the Agricultural Transformation Agenda is all about. Our Minister of Agriculture who was head-hunted by President Jonathan because of his internationally-acclaimed expertise in the field, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina,”uses a three-stage approach of treating agriculture as a business rather than as a social or developmental issue. He uses the value chain approach of adding value to everything produced in Nigeria and ensuring a paradigm shift to agriculture which is the engine growth of the economy.
“Farmers lives across Nigeria has been transformed and forty years of corruption in the seed and fertilizer distribution ended via the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) of which 14 million farmers had benefitted from subsidised farm inputs, with 10.3 million of these beneficiaries (75 per cent) in northern Nigeria,” Muazu said.
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