The second tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari started on May 29, 2019 and a number of successes have so far been recorded.
These are the highlights of the achievement:
1. President Buhari established new Ministries, including Police Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, exactly a year ago, Aug. 21, 2019.
2. The Budget Implementation Cycle was successfully restored to a January-to-December Calendar, with the signing of the 2020 Appropriation Bill in December 2019.
3. President Buhari signed into law a Finance Bill, to reform domestic tax laws, introduce tax incentives for investments in infrastructure and capital markets, and improve the business environment.
4. President Buhari approved a N10 billion Intervention Fund for the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
5. President Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
6. Nigeria rose 15 places on the World Bank Doing Business Index, to 131st position, from 146th, earning a place as one of ten top performing countries in the worLd
7. President Buhari assented to the Deep Offshore (and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contract) Act, a landmark legislative reform which will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in extra government revenues annually.
8. President Buhari performed the ground-breaking for the University of Transportation in Daura, an investment by CCECC in Nigeria. On a similar note, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo performed the ground-breaking for a new Wagon Assembly Plant in Kajola, Ogun State.
9. President Buhari approved the Financial Transparency Policy, mandating publication of Public Financial Information through an Open Treasury Portal.
10. Nigerian has a new Visa Policy, that will improve the business environment, attract innovation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), boost tourism and improve African integration.
11. Nigeria commenced issuance of Visas on Arrival to all persons holding passports of African countries
12. President Buhari approved the commencement of the Community Policing initiative, and has approved a N13.3 billion take-off grant.
13. Nigeria commenced Operation ‘Ex-Swift Response’, a multi-agency security operation to secure the nation’s land borders.
14. President Buhari flagged-off construction of the Ajaokuta–Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline.
15. President Buhari launched the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Scheme.
16. President Buhari established the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC), under the leadership of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the ESC developed the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP), a N2.3 Trillion stimulus package to help cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.
17. The Federal Executive Council approved the kick-off of pre-engineering phase (and payment of part counterpart funding) of the Presidential Power Initiative, a government-to-government deal involving Nigeria, Germany and Siemens AG.
18. Final Investment Decision was reached on the US$10 billion Train 7 expansion of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited (in which the NNPC holds a 49 per cent stake). This was followed by the signing of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project.
19. Commencement of payment of increased Allowance (33,000 Naira monthly) to NYSC members.
20. President Buhari established the National Humanitarian Coordination Committee (NHCC), and the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 (PTFCOVID19).
21. President Buhari approved the release of a N10 billion Grant to the Lagos State Government and a N5 billion Grant to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), to support the Coronavirus Response.
22. President Buhari signed an Amendment to Executive Order 8, the Voluntary Offshore Assets Regularization Scheme (VOARS).
23. The Department of Petroleum Resources commenced the bidding round for 57 Marginal Fields, the first such process in almost 20 years.
24. A National Special Public Works (SPW) programme began in the first quarter of 2020, with a successful pilot programme in eight States. It is now being expanded nationwide, and will provide employment and stipends for 774,000 young Nigerians – 1,000 beneficiaries per Local Government) for three months, starting October 2020.
25. The Itakpe-Warri Railway Line is now ready for operations. Construction commenced more than three decades ago, and then the project was abandoned for many years. It is now ready to commence commercial operations, as Nigeria’s “Central Line.”
26. Track-laying for the main section of the new Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway Line was completed in March 2020, almost exactly three years after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the project.
27. The Nigeria Police Trust Fund, established by the President in 2019, has now been operationalised, with the appointment and inauguration of a Board of Trustees, and an Executive Secretary.
28. Nigeria defeated Polio – attaining, in Q3 2020, the status of being officially free from the Wild Polio Virus, for the first time in the country’s history.
29. No fewer than three private Modular Refinery projects have been completed in 2020, a clear manifestation of the success of the New Vision for the Niger Delta, President Buhari’s Peace, Security and Development Agenda for the oil-producing region of Nigeria.
30. President Buhari approved the establishment of a 75 billion Naira Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), to provide 5%-interest business loans to Nigerians aged between 18 and 35.
31. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) launched a 50 billion Naira Household and SME support facility, to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic. As at July 2020, N49.195 billion has been disbursed, to over 92,000 beneficiaries.
32. Applications opened (and have now closed) for a new Batch of beneficiaries for the N-Power Jobs Scheme, a component of the National Social Investment Programme, overseen by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. More than 5 million young Nigerians applied for the 400,000 places to be filled.
33. The Federal Government approved a new Policy for the promotion of local production of Bitumen and other construction materials In Nigeria.
34. President Buhari gives presidential assent to a landmark Bill amending the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
