Nigerian Declaration of Economic Independence

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) It is a nice coincidence that President Buhari names the members of his cabinet and their portfolios on August 2 as on this same day in 1776, 55 men signed the US Declaration of Independence. Will we see 43 men and women sign a Nigerian Declaration of Economic Liberation today that will contain the following:

(2) All Nigerian states will become self-reliant by the year 2025. Generating as much as they spend at the very least

(3) By the end of 2019, insecurity will be banished across the land. Possession of an illegal fireman will lead to a statutory 10-year jail sentence

(4) By 2023, we shall increase Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) to $1trn from the current $375bn

(5) As from 2020, Nigeria shall cease to export primary commodities. Everything we sell must have some value added to it

(6) As from 2025, we resolve to start manufacturing anything we import. If we need a good then we have to manufacture it locally. Suppliers will be told that if they want access to our market, they must manufacture in Nigeria

(7) As from 2025, Nigeria’s annual budget will always be at least 10 times the size of the population. This means that with the current population of 180m, the minimum our annual budget will be is $180bn

(8) At least 50% of all Nigerian journeys will be undertaken by rail

(9) As part of a crackdown on the vanity that breeds corruption, it will be illegal to hang through portrait of a government official in any public office

(10) We aim to have 0% illiteracy by 2030