TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY DR. DOYIN OKUPE, SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT (PUBLIC AFFAIRS) ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18TH, 2014

TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY DR. DOYIN OKUPE, SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT (PUBLIC AFFAIRS) ON TUESDAY FEBRUARY 18TH, 2014

We note the recent attacks of Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State and some comments about them in the media by some leading Nigerians.

For the avoidance of doubt and with ample evidence on the ground, we state that the Nigerian Armed Forces and Security Agencies are on top of the situation.

The orchestration of mayhem by the insurgents is the result of their dislodgment from their strongholds and hideouts in the mountainous forest areas of Borno State.
In recent times, these areas have been heavily bombed aerially by the Nigerian Air Force and combed systematically by ground troops.

If the insurgents have not been completely routed, it is due to the fact that Our Armed Forces are severely constrained because of the fact that civilian settlements are also co-located in this vicinity making selective engagement tenuous and difficult if heavy civilian casualty is to be avoided.
The public will note that following serious dislocation of the insurgents from their hideouts, the new trend is for them, after sporadic attacks, which are usually launched at night, to quickly cross over to neigbouring countries for safety.

The Nigerian military is prevented from pursuing them into these foreign territories by law and international conventions and this obviously gives continuous respite to the insurgents.

We must note that as far back as over twelve months ago, the fighting machinery of the insurgents had suffered major decapitation. They have therefore resorted almost exclusively, to attacking soft targets such as schools, women and children and sleeping communities in the early hours of the morning.

Most of the villages attacked are those like Kauri, Idzge and Konduga, which are generally situated along the foot of the Gwoza Mountains, which stretches from Nigeria to the Cameroon.
The obvious location of these villages close to the mountains affords the insurgents opportunity and facility to launch strikes at night and sneak back across the border into neighbouring countries. But the Nigerian military and security agencies have taken up this challenge and like every facet of this struggle will put an end to these incursions in the shortest possible time.

We are certainly not involved in conventional warfare but are rather engaged in guerrilla warfare with all its unpredictability. However, it is heartwarming that our military, which has participated in numerous international peace keeping operations where they helped to quell insurgencies, has acquired the sophistication and necessary capacity to adapt to the ever changing modus operandi of the insurgents.

It is therefore wrong for anyone, Nigerian or foreigner, to assert that our armed forces cannot defeat the Boko Haram insurgents or to insinuate that the insurgents are better armed. We believe strongly that the statement made by the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima that the insurgents are better armed than our military is based purely on a civilian perception of the situation at hand. It is clear that Governor Shettima does not have the expertise to categorize or classify the effectiveness of any weapon.

We state categorically that the Nigerian military is one of the best equipped in Africa and that in 2014, the Federal Government made budgetary provision in excess of N1 trillion for the military and other security agencies, an amount, which is about 22 percent of our entire national budget for this year. This definitely belies the suggestion in certain quarters that the Federal Government is not doing the needful in prosecuting this war.

The statement on low morale and lack of motivation is equally unfair and misplaced. Whereas insurgents are usually motivated by ideological fanaticism, on the contrary well-disciplined militaries like ours are spurred by patriotic sense of duty, national pride and strict adherence to professionalism.
Therefore, the morale of troops engaged in this war is high and ought not to be dampened by unsavory and certainly untrue comments of low motivation.

We enjoin all our National leaders and stakeholders across political and religious divides to close ranks with government and our valiant troops defending our territorial integrity and support the Federal Government route out the scourging menace of insurgency rather than speaking at cross purposes.

We want to reassure Nigerians and members of the international community that though it is in the character of insurgents to create maximum fear, their sporadic attacks on soft targets is being contained and will be halted.
In conclusion, we state authoritatively without any fear or equivocation whatsoever that Nigeria is already winning the war against terror and the activities of the insurgents will be terminated within the shortest possible time.
Thank you.

Dr. Doyin Okupe
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs

Address Delivered by President Jonathan at the Official Launch of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP)

Address by

His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

At the

Official Launch of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and

National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP)

 Tuesday 11^thFebruary, 2014

PROTOCOLS

 1.            It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the formal launching of The Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP), our flagship programme to industrialize Nigeria; andThe National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP), our new strategic platform to deliver growth within Nigeria’s micro, small, and medium enterprises.

2.            This year, 2014, is of special significance to us as a nation because it marks 100 years of our Nationhood. As we go forward into the next 100 years, it is clear to us as an Administration that the measure of a great nation, cannot be detached from the dependability of its economy. And a great economy must be based on a solid Industrial sector, with well diversified lines and sources of revenue, and a vibrant Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, to create jobs and provide linkages.

3.            The Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP)   and the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) will help to fast-track the attainment of these goals. They are targeted at transforming Nigerian businesses and changing the lives of ordinary people. They will accelerate inclusive growth and job creation and stem the drain on our reserves caused by importing what we can produce ourselves.

4.            NIRP and NEDEP will also give fresh impetus to  our Agenda for National Transformation Agenda by ushering in a new era of value addition, enterprise development and industrialisation.

5.            I sincerely believe that the Nigerian economy must be developed into one of the most important elements of our national strength and a major assurance of the future of our people. That is why we have been resolute in executing Nigeria’s agenda for economic reform.

6.            Our track record in this regard is strong. Every year, since coming into office, we have consolidated Nigeria’s fiscal position by reducing government overheads. We have launched the boldest transformation of the agricultural sector and we are well on the way to increasing Nigeria’s food production by 20 million tons per annum.

7.            Among other significant achievements, w e have fundamentally re-organized the power sector for improved performance by privatizing 11 distribution and four generating companies and bringing in private sector capital and expertise. We have upgraded facilities within the Nigerian aviation sector to standards never seen before in this country and we have restarted rail services that had been dormant for over 20 years. Our road networks have also received unprecedented attention and improvements in the last three years.

8.            It is our expectation that the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme will be major additions to these landmark achievements.  

9.            The NIRP which is the most ambitious industrialization programme ever pursued by our Nation will accelerate growth in those industries where Nigeria has comparative and competitive advantages such as the processing of food and agricultural products,  Metals and solid minerals processing, Oil and gas related industries, and Construction, light manufacturing and services.

10.       These subsectors were prioritised because they will also generate jobs and tap into existing markets and demand in Nigeria. In each of these sectors, we could become number one in Africa, and in the top 10 globally, because of our competitive advantage.

11.       The Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan will also address age-old constraints that have persistently limited manufacturing. It will build-up industrial infrastructure, prioritize power for industrial use, reduce borrowing costs and mobilize funding for the real sector. It will also facilitate youth training in industrial skills, improve our investment climate, raise our product standards, link innovation to industry, and promote local patronage of ‘made in Nigeria goods.’

12.       The goal of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan is to increase the contribution of the manufacturing sector to GDP from the present 4%, to more than 10% over a five-year period. This will boost the annual revenue earned by Nigerian manufacturers by up to Five Trillion Naira per annum.

13.       Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, turning now to the National Enterprise Development Programme, I cannot overemphasize the importance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to National development. All over the world, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are the primary drivers of employment. With the effective implementation of NEDEP, Nigeria will fully tap their immense potentials as the bedrock for industrialization and inclusive economic growth.

14.       A survey conducted in 2010 by SMEDAN and the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics showed that we have 17 million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), employing over 32 million people. If each Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise in Nigeria employs just one additional person, we would create 17 million extra jobs, and unemployment in Nigeria would be drastically reduced. That survey was conducted three years ago. Today, we have more Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria, with the potential for even greater impact.

15.       NEDEP has placed Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises at the centre of our National Economic Policy. Our vision is to take this new model for national enterprise development to all the 774 local governments in our country.

16.       The Programme will fully unlock the potentials of Nigeria’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises sector by resolving many of the problems  that most small businesses face such as – access to finance, access to markets, weak business development, dearth of technical skills, lack of infrastructure, and insufficient market information.

17.       Under NEDEP, enterprise zones will be created in every State of the Federation, equipped with essential infrastructure for small businesses to thrive and transform Nigeria through employment generation, economic linkages, and rural industrialization.

18.       Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the integrated approach being pursued under the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme which allows for better coordination, synergy, effectiveness and more efficient utilisation of resources, will positively transform the Nigerian economy.

19.       We have made very notable progress towards our objective since we started implementing the two programmes 12 months ago. Through the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan,we have significantly cut the costs of business incorporation in Nigeria. We have mobilized new investments in the Sugar sector exceeding 3 billion US dollars.

20. In just 4 months, our landmark Auto Industry Development Program has attracted over six international car manufacturers, including Nissan and Hyundai. We have also consolidated gains in the cement sector, which has attracted US$ 8 billion in investments and is supporting 1.6 million jobs. In 2013, Nigeria became a net exporter of cement for the first time in our history.

21. Looking ahead, we envision greater collaboration between the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and relevant Ministries to promote and facilitate renaissance and growth in other sectors such as textiles and garments, leather, palm oil processing, cocoa processing, basic steel works, chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, light manufacturing and many more.

22             . Our achievements in the National Enterprise Development Programme have been just as impressive. The programme has taken the Federal government’s support for MSMEs into every corner of Nigeria. In just five months, we decentralised the activities of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and established its presence in all 36 States of Nigeria.

23. We have identified and are also vigorously supporting at least one product in all 774 local governments in Nigeria based on each local government’s area of competitive advantage. To help tens of thousands of small businesses have better access to finance and capacity support, we have formed over 10,000 MSME cooperatives and registered them with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

24. We have refocused attention on micro enterprises. Over the last 12 months, the Bank of Industry has disbursed 10 billion naira to the smallest and most fragile businesses at the bottom of the pyramid.

25. As we look ahead to the future, sustainability and effectiveness are core principles that will guide our actions. We will not only sustain the momentum of both the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme, we will also expand their impact and reach.

26. To ensure the attainment of this goal, I will soon inaugurate the National Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Council, which will be chaired by the Vice President. Furthermore, the Nigeria Industrial Revolution PlanPresidential Advisory group, which will meet with me periodically, will also be established. Both bodies will constitute part of the institutional framework to monitor and provide guidance for the implementation of these programmes.

27. In closing, let me emphasize that legacies define all historical epochs. At this stage of the Nigerian journey, we must strive to build legacies that will outlive us. All great countries are built on sustained improvements from one generation to the next and I assure you all that this administration will leave worthy legacies for future generations of Nigerians.

28. We will leave this country stronger, and better than we met it. With the diligent implementation of revolutionary programmes like the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and the National Enterprise Development Programme, we can truly make Nigeria the giant of Africa.

29.    I thank you all for your kind attention.