President Bola Tinubu reassured Nigerians of his dedication to fulfilling all pre-election guarantees in hellos New Year’s speech, including that “powerful instances by no means final.”
Because the jubilations greeting the New Yr celebration take a bow, it is very important draw the eye of Nigerians to the guarantees made by the federal authorities in 2023 as we await its implementation in 2024.
Improved energy provide
In November 2023, Maitama Tuggar, the minister of international affairs, mentioned Nigerians will expertise improved energy provide by the primary half of 2024.
He mentioned electrical energy provide throughout the nation will enhance with the Siemens gasoline deal between Nigeria and Germany and the completion of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) pipeline undertaking.
The minister mentioned, “Within the coming 12 months by the primary half of subsequent 12 months (2024), there will likely be a exceptional enchancment within the electrical energy provide in Nigeria.”
Equally, the president assured Nigerians in his speech that he had made a brand new take care of the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, throughout COP28 in Dubai to hurry up the supply of the Siemens Vitality energy undertaking which can finally ship a dependable provide of electrical energy to varied properties and companies below the Presidential Energy Initiative.
Tinubu added that different energy set up initiatives to strengthen the reliability of transmission traces and optimise the integrity of the Nationwide grid are ongoing throughout the nation.
Improved safety structure
Nigeria is confronted with safety challenges akin to terrorism and banditry within the northwest; perennial insurgency within the northeast, already threatening the peace within the north-central; separatist militants within the southeast whereas ritual killing, kidnapping and cultism have discovered a spot within the southwest and south-south geopolitical zones.
The actions of insurgents and bandits terrorising many components of the nation usually are not the one safety issues Nigerians are battling with, the perceived incapacity of the safety businesses to wade off the tide is a problem by itself.
Nonetheless, Bello Matawalle, the state minister of defence, has mentioned that by November 2024, insecurity within the nation will likely be a factor of the previous.
“God’s keen, from now to November of 2024, all safety challenges will likely be overcome,” Matawalle mentioned in an interview with BBC.
Making nationwide defence and inside safety a part of his administration’s 8 precedence, Nigeria President assured Nigerians of improved safety in 2024.
“Silently, we’ve labored to free captives from abductors. Whereas we are able to’t beat our chest but that we’ve solved all the safety issues, we’re working laborious to make sure that all of us have peace of thoughts in our properties, locations of labor and on the roads,” Tinubu mentioned in his New Yr speech.
New wage construction
The Minister of Data and Communication, Idris Mohammed, introduced in December 2023 {that a} new wage construction would take impact from April 1, 2024.
Mohammed mentioned the brand new wage construction is a part of ongoing negotiations with labour unions.
Assuring Nigerians, the minister affirmed that the brand new wage construction was essential to ease the burden of Nigerians and make life higher for all.
Corroborating this in his New Yr speech, the President mentioned that his authorities “will implement a brand new nationwide dwelling wage for our industrious staff this New Yr.”
Useful refineries
All 4 state-owned refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri are anticipated to be operational by the top of 2024 if the FG’s guarantees on the services are true.
With the current completion of the mechanical section of the turnaround upkeep on the Port Harcourt refinery, the power with 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) capability is anticipated to start operation within the first quarter of 2024.
Tinubu affirmed in his speech that “In 2024, we’re shifting a step additional in our quest to restart native refining of petroleum merchandise with Port Harcourt Refinery and the Dangote Refinery, which shall absolutely come on stream.”
College students Mortgage
Talking on the twenty ninth Nationwide Financial Summit in October 2023, President Bola Tinubu mentioned his authorities’s College students Mortgage Programme will start in January 2024.
“By January 2024, the brand new College students Mortgage Programme should start. We’re saying no extra strikes to the way forward for our kids and college students,” the President mentioned.
In response to a BusinessDay report, the scholar mortgage is designed to douse the hike in tuition charges of upper establishments and ease the method of studying.
Loans for MSMEs
The workplace of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, in collaboration with the Financial institution of Business, is anticipated to start the disbursement of loans to Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in January 2024.
A press release signed by the Senior Particular Assistant to the President on Job Creation & MSMEs said that “The loans totalling about ₦75bn will likely be given to small companies nationwide at an rate of interest of 9%.”
The FG is reportedly set to construct on its previous collaborations with stakeholders throughout the private and non-private sectors to offer monetary assist for MSMEs in grants and loans.
Meals provide and safety
The President assured Nigerians of meals provide, safety and affordability to fight starvation in 2024 by means of the Nationwide Wheat Improvement Programme launched in November 2023.
Tinubu mentioned, “To make sure fixed meals provide, safety and affordability, we are going to step up our plan to domesticate 500,000 hectares of farmlands throughout the nation to develop maize, rice, wheat, millet and different staple crops.”
As the brand new 12 months’s clock is already ticking, Nigerians await the manifestations of those guarantees earlier than the 12 months ends.
