THE BUHARI ADMINISTRATION IS PUTTING THE ECONOMY ON A WINNING PATH - MINISTER

Being The Text of The Press Conference Addressed By The Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos on Saturday,
4th November 2017

Good afternoon gentlemen and thank you for, once again, honouring our
invitation. This is the second time we are meeting in about one and a
half months. Recall that when we met on Sept. 17th 2017, at this same
venue, we promised that the next meeting won't be long. Today, we are
living true to our promise.

2.   Our last meeting dwelt exclusively on the menace of IPOB. Today,
it is about the economy! As you are very much aware, this
administration's contract with Nigerians sits on a tripod: The fight
against corruption, Tackling insecurity and reviving the economy. Even
our worst critics acknowledge the progress we have made in fighting
corruption and tackling insecurity. But one area in which they have
consistently criticised us is the economy. Right from the inception of
this Administration, we chose the path of seeking a lasting solution
to the economic crisis plaguing the nation instead of engaging in a
quick fix that may attract accolades but will not endure. We chose to
be painstaking instead of engaging in palliatives.

3.   Gentlemen, I am happy to inform you today that we are winning!
Our well-thought-out policy, encapsulated in the Administration's
Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), launched on April 5th 2017,
is working and the results are beginning to show. In September, we
exited recession and returned to the path of growth, after five
consecutive quarters of contraction. As we said then, taking Nigeria
out of recession did not happen by accident. It was the culmination of
months of hard work by the Administration and fidelity to its
well-articulated economic policies.

4.   To show that taking Nigeria out of recession was not a fluke,
less than two months later, precisely 31st Oct. 2017, Nigerians got
another good news: The country has moved up 24 places, to 145th, in
the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ report. Not only that, for the first
time the country is recognized as one of the top 10 most improved
economies in the world. This is phenomenal. More importantly, it is
the direct result of a well-articulated policy by this Administration.

5.   Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, the Secretary to the Presidential Enabling
Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Coordinator of the
Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES), which implements the
PEBEC’s reform agenda, will give details of how Nigeria achieved that
feat and what remains to be done to ensure even a better result in the
months ahead.

6.   But let me say this: Shortly after its establishment by President
Muhammadu Buhari in 2016, PEBEC, which is chaired by the Vice
President, took a significant step towards making it easier for Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to do business in Nigeria. How
did it do to that, you may ask? PEBEC approved a 60-Day National
Action Plan on the Ease of Doing Business with clear deliverables and
timelines for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)
responsible for implementing each line item in the Plan.

7.   Remember that MSMEs, which account for almost half of Nigeria’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), play a key role in the Nigerian economy
and employ over 80 percent of the country’s labour force. Therefore,
we look up to these enterprises to provide the endless possibilities
for Nigeria’s economic growth. We know for sure that if the MSMEs
blossom, Nigeria's economy will thrive. This is what PEBEC set out to
do, and the result is what you are seeing. Lest I forget, we even
surpassed our target. We had hoped to move up 20 places. We beat that
by four more to move up 24 places. And as Dr. Oduwole will soon tell
you, the best is yet to come. In the words of Vice President Osinbajo,
''improving the business environment is at the heart of the Buhari
Administration’s reform agenda. We are reinforcing our economic
turnaround by implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan
(ERGP) so businesses operating in Nigeria can thrive and be
competitive globally.''

8.  The good news in the area of the economy continues. As part of the
Administration's efforts to improve Nigeria's tax to GDP ratio, which
currently sits at a paltry 6% - one of the lowest in the world - the
Administration has launched what is called the Nigerian Voluntary
Asset and Income Declaration Scheme, or VAIDS. This provides a
time-bound opportunity for taxpayers to regularize their tax status
relating to previous tax periods and pay any taxes due. In exchange
for fully and honestly declaring previously undisclosed assets and
income, taxpayers will benefit from forgiveness of overdue interest
and penalties, and the assurance of not facing criminal prosecution
for tax offences or tax investigations. As of 31st Oct. 2017, VAIDS
has raked in over 200 million Naira and 55 million US dollars.

9. Then, of course, there are the usual indices: For 8th consecutive
months, headline inflation has been falling; the foreign exchange
reserves are up to $34 billion, from $24 billion a year ago; oil
production is at nearly 2 million barrels per day, a significant
improvement from 2016 when it was mostly below a million; the value of
the Naira in the parallel market has appreciated significantly in
recent times against the US dollar, and that at about 1.8 billion
dollars, the capital inflows in the second quarter of 2017 were almost
double the $908 million in the first quarter.

10.   Gentlemen, we can go on and on in reeling out the good news. But
the bottom line is that as things continue to improve, Nigerians will
begin to feel the impact in their daily lives. With the ongoing
massive infrastructural development, especially in roads, railways and
power, Nigerians will begin to get a new lease on life. Food prices
will tumble. Businesses will thrive. More jobs will be created.

11.   This Administration will not relent in its determined effort to
usher in a new dawn for Nigeria. We are winning the battle to revive
the economy. We are fighting corruption like never before. We are
tackling insecurity with a renewed vigour. While the naysayers, who
are obviously in the minority, persist in their pastime of acting as a
distraction, discerning and well-meaning Nigerians will continue to
appreciate and encourage the good work of our
Administration.

12.   Let me round off this address by once again commending Nigerians
for their perseverance. Reviving the economy was never going to be an
easy task. It was bound to bring some hardship to our people in the
short term. Through it all, the good people of Nigeria have borne the
pains with equanimity, based on their unshakable trust in the
sincerity, capability and commitment of President Buhari. Now, the
soothing balm is here. As the results of the government's fidelity to
its well-articulated economic policies trickle in, one thing is sure:
This time around, it will be long-lasting.

13.   I thank you all for your kind attention. I will now hand over
the microphone to Dr. Oduwole, who will dwell more on the Ease of
Doing Business issue.