ANRP MANIFESTO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2
2. A CALL TO A NEW GENERATION 3
3. RENEWAL, RENAISSANCE, RESPECT 3
4. ABUNDANT NIGERIA 4
5. RUNNING GOVERNMENT AS A VIABLE ENTERPRISE 5
6. OUR YOUTH – NIGERIA’S GREATEST RESOURCE 5
7. WOMEN – OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE PARTNERS 6
8. DIASPORA (VOTING) 6
9. CIVIL/PUBLIC SERVICE 7
10. UNITY, ETHICS PEACE AND JUSTICE 8
11. TRANSPARENCY 8
12. DIVERSIFICATION/RESOURCE CONTROL/RESTRUCTURING 9
13. LEGISLATURE 10
14. COMMUNICATION 10
15. SACRIFICE, DELAYED GRATIFICATION 10
16. SECTORAL CONSIDERATIONS 11
17. YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
18. CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS
19. ANTI-CORRUPTION
20. ENVIRONMENT
21. EDUCATION
22. POWER
23. EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
24. HUMAN CAPITAL
25. FINANCE
26. FOREIGN EXCHANGE
27. EXTERNAL DEBT

iii. INTERNAL DEBT

1. BUDGET DEFICITS
2. TEXTILE
3. AGRICULTURE
4. HEALTH
5. SECURITY AND DEFENCE
6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
7. JUSTICE
8. INFRASTRUCTURE
9. FOREIGN POLICY
10. INDUSTRIAL/TRADE POLICIES
11. CONCLUSION 19
12. INTRODUCTION

“The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New” – Socrates

As much as it is important to fix the anomalies of the past, it has become empirically clear to Nigerians that we cannot afford to live in that past. It is important to live in the present, working assiduously to make good in a fast-paced, globalized world. It is also imperative that we have our eyes trained on the future. For one cannot set store on events of the past and lose the greater possibilities of the future.

Our party, the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) is a party formed with the present and future in mind. We intend to make important forays to salvage our nation in the present, and we also believe that there is more in store for us in the future, if only we would be smart, hardworking and truthful. A lot has gone wrong in Nigeria over the past decades, and everyday, Nigeria moves nearer the abyss. In clear terms, life has become more and more unbearable for most and at present, every economic index and measurement has deteriorated. Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is presently falling, Inflation is rising at the same time. Interest rates have skyrocketed and businesses are collapsing. Workers are losing their jobs and students are stranded, at home and abroad.

We are therefore at an epoch that demanded for something profound to be done. This epoch birthed the ANRP; a coming together of like minds, a dynamic party that is positioned to bring fresh thinking into governance in Nigeria. We have considered the resources on ground and realized that indeed, except the current excesses are reined in, Nigeria is in a free fall and on a one-way street to a place we would rather not imagine.

We are therefore presenting this manifesto as a compendium of our thoughts on several issues, and our commitments if and when given the opportunity at any and every level, to show the difference that we have in store. As a party that emphasizes innovation, we assure Nigerians that we have what it takes to measure up to some of the best countries in the world, and the humility with which to navigate the complexities of a fast-evolving world, negotiating and finding purchase in a manner that would ensure we emerge as a country where citizens are fulfilled, are living good lives devoid of disease and want, where poverty is eradicated and the commonweal is applied for the benefit of the larger populace, not for the opulence of a tiny clique.

THE MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREEN IN OUR LOGO

Most people associate green with nature and the environment only, but green has many meanings and represents other things too:

Renewal, growth, youth, youthfulness, hope, safety, fertility, energy, money/finances, efficiency (also eliminating waste)

There couldn’t have been a more suitable colour for ANRP than green.

Efficiency: The Nigeria government and its system are bloated, unwieldy, cumbersome and as it presently is cannot deliver results to Nigerians. It isn’t designed to serve Nigerians, but few who work in it and their associates.

Most Nigerians live below the poverty line. Nigeria has often been described as presenting a paradox; the country is rich, the people are poor. More aptly put, the people are impoverished.

There is abundance, and more than enough to go round if properly administered.

ANRP has a strong social justice pillar and core. It’s objective is to lift our people from penury to abundance in empowering ways, and to promote business and enterprise in ways sustainable.

ANRP is not doctrinaire, as ideologies in themselves don’t lift people out of penury to abundance, create a just, fair, transparent, and equitable system; and promote innovation and enterprise. Sound policies and decisions taken based on the rigor of verifiable evidence, and implemented diligently do. This is what we commit to.

2. A CALL TO A NEW GENERATION

It so happens that the younger generation in Nigeria have shown a lot of lethargy when it comes to politics, ignoring Plato’s admonition to those who refuse to get involved but later complain of misgovernance. Since Nigeria’s independence in 1960, and even through the military interregnums of the 70s and 80s, we have had the same group of leaders and while it is important to have the benefit of guidance by sages, the result on ground – what Nigeria has become – has not endeared the people to this historical reality. The ANRP has therefore called on Nigerians to wake up from their slumber and get more involved in the running of their country. We understand that there are existential challenges faced by people in today’s frenetic world, which was not there in the past, hence the distraction and lethargy. But this is all the more reason for the brightest and quickest of minds to get involved because whatever is seen as a formidable problem today, will surely get even more formidable and complex, tomorrow.

We imagine and envisage a political process that throws up a new set of tested leaders every decade, with the occasional sprinkling of old hands to steady the ship of state. Solving Nigeria’s problems will require that speed, that strength and that purpose, and that sophistication and wisdom in a rapidly-evolving world that does not suffer laggards lightly.

Getting Nigeria out of the current rut will require the best of every resource we have – especially our human resources. We must be ready to deploy more young and energetic people, women and older people in achieving greatness. However, for now, the balance is too skewed towards the older generation and therefore there is a need for a hard reset so that all the productive demographics can purchase some level of respect and involvement. We also believe that Nigeria must necessarily tap into the sheer energy and passion of its world-acclaimed youth bulge.

3. RENEWAL, RENAISSANCE, RESPECT

Our party is based on the three Rs – Renewal, Renaissance and Respect. This is our motto and so it bears constant repeating so that we stay on the straight and narrow. We intend to renew Nigeria and get it back on the path of growth and development. We intend to achieve a Nigeria where citizens generally evolve to become better, where pangs of hunger and despondency is reduced, where public amenities are available aplenty for everyone, a country that is no longer looked down upon, that stands shoulder to shoulder with its peers and aspires for greatness with the best. We intend to start afresh, clear off bad old habits and attitudes which have almost defined us as a people, and develop a new ethos. This will be the renaissance of Nigeria. We emphasize respect. Respect for ourselves, respect for our peers, respect for elders, respect for children, respect for children unborn, respect for our resources, respect for our environment, respect for humanity, respect for Africa, respect for the world at large, and respect for God.

As a party mostly populated by young bloods and new gladiators, the expectation is for us to be rowdy. Opposition watches and expects an implosion. We must have it at the back of our minds that this should never happen. We must also check ourselves, and identify those who may be hell-bent on achieving this implosion from within.

4. ABUNDANT NIGERIA!

This is our commitment, and also our slogan. Nigerians agree that the nation is abundant in everything; in human and material resources. We are abundant in everything that God has put in place for humanity to flourish. We are abundant in the types of brains that we have produced for the world. We are abundant in the advantages that nature has conferred on us. We are abundant, in the imagination that we can deploy to release value from all these if we try. This is our raison d’être (our reason for being) as a party. As much as Nigeria is known to be abundant in many things, it is paradoxical that the larger percentage of Nigerians live in abject want and deprivation. We believe this is unacceptable and have therefore adopted this slogan; ABUNDANT NIGERIA! We will strive to make Nigeria into an egalitarian society where opportunity for advancement – socially and economically – is not based on class, creed, religion or ethnicity, but on how much value one can offer and the excellence one can show.

5. RUNNING GOVERNMENT AS A VIABLE ENTERPRISE

Enterprises go through ups and downs, and exist within a context of increasing competition. They have to therefore be up and doing, strategic and very frugal in the management of resources. They also have to be able to take quick surgical decisions to excise units that are dragging down the rest and threatening to cause a demise of the entire structure. We believe national and sub-national governments, down to the grassroots should be so run. This does not preclude thinking for the underprivileged and vulnerable. We are aware that a nation is judged by how it treats and cares for the most vulnerable. What has obtained in Nigeria till date is a situation where government is run as a limitless slush fund and those who are either appointed or elected see themselves as being ordained to indulge in excesses. Civil/public servants also follow suit – or in many instances are the perpetuators of this wasteful culture. In progressive countries, public funds are treated with even more care than corporate funds, and must be totally and meticulously accounted for. Our commitment at ANRP is to run government as if we were running a viable enterprise which we seek to sustain and grow into the future.

6. THE YOUTH – NIGERIA’S GREATEST RESOURCE

We believe that youth demographic has been neglected for too long, and that already, a gap has emerged. As the national population grew, our leaders were probably overwhelmed with the possibilities and dynamism of population growth, and therefore chose the easy route of deploying our commonwealth towards making themselves comfortable. Many talk of the good old days when they enjoyed scholarships and had jobs waiting for them immediately after university. They spoke about the car loans that were forced on them. But today, all that has disappeared. The reality – apart from mismanagement – is that such luxuries would have naturally become unaffordable as millions of Nigerians have now headed to university and have one certificate or the other to show for it. The lack of futurism and mismanagement has led to a situation where the Nigeria youth – with all the passion and energy remains stranded till date. Yet, this is the repository of energy for any nation. Nigeria has a youth bulge that other countries envy. We can either allow that bulge to become a problem – as it has – or we anchor that energy for productivity – as we intend to do.

The trick, we believe, is to focus more attention at developing the minds, skills and earning capabilities as well as the financial inclusion of Nigerian youths between the ages of 15 and 24; the ages when people get ready to attend universities or when they just finish. We believe that, like it is done in progressive countries, these youths should achieve a certain level of independence and be able to earn money at that age, for work done. If this is done, we can ease the pressure on their parents, prepare them for the future, reduce crime rate and increase tourism, create a new spending class and grow GDP by at least 15% year on year, and by all means create the jobs needed by our university graduates and those between the ages of 24-40, among other benefits. We believe that since this was doable in Nigeria’s glorious past, and is the standard that obtains in most developed countries, we must find a way of achieving this feat. The current scenario whereby there are no plans for this demographic (15-24 years old), and they are left to sort themselves out, and the constitute Nigeria’s most idle group of people, while every other Nigerian wants to acquire bachelors and masters degree before seeking their first jobs, is unsustainable and has had debilitating effects on the national economy

7. WOMEN – OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE PARTNERS

The immensely positive impact of women on the labour market and in executive positions has been well-documented. A study of Iceland and other countries showed that the more women get involved in an organization, the higher the chances of sustainable progress and profitability. The involvement of women in planning, strategy and public sector roles also follows the same trajectory and so cannot be ignored. Our party stands for more involvement of women in the political process and in managerial and executive roles across the spectrum. We shall offer many of our positions to ladies who indicate interest and will commit to offering 100% of our elective positions to women, while ensuring that at least a 40% uptake is achieved in order to tap into a balanced reserve of ideas, styles and creative capabilities. We will work towards reversing the present reluctance of Nigerian women to get involved in the running of their country even though they often bear the some of the worst consequences as a result of national socioeconomic mismanagement.

8. DIASPORA (VOTING)- A MISSION TO BE ACCOMPLISHED

We believe that diaspora involvement in Nigerian politics should be enhanced beyond mere comments on how the country is being run, or mere agonizing. Agonizing for long and feeling bad about the daily decimation of Nigeria’s image all over the world is not enough. It is also unhealthy. Diaspora Nigerians will be in a better place mentally if they are able to do something about the Nigerian situation. Diaspora voting has been on the cards for long. Part of the problem is the extant laws, which only recognize physical presence on voting day (and we have to declare holidays and curfew for this). Only a team of modern and futuristic leader-managers can ever make this come to fruition in Nigeria. In order to make this work, as it does in places like USA and most of Europe, the first thing is that leaders must not be afraid of losing power. Leaders who are fearful of what is to come, usually dredge up all our fears of rigging etc, to justify Nigeria’s maintenance of a status quo which has not delivered the goods. IT-savvy leader-managers will know how to use technology to check human interference and promote integrity. This is one of our commitments.

9. CIVIL/PUBLIC SERVICE

Nigeria has not been very good in confronting its difficult questions. One of the core roots of corruption and disenchantment – especially in Nigeria’s civil service – is the disparity in income, between those who work in core civil service (where Directors who have worked for 25 years earn a paltry N200,000, 000 or $400 a month at current market rates!) and their counterparts in SOME other favoured agencies earn 10 times as much. That problem has not for a day been addressed. It will require a lot of brainstorming, to reform the public service and reduce this disparity, perhaps through the provision of non-cash benefits, and then institute a very strict regime of internal controls and reorientation that brooks no deviation from the high standards of integrity. The reality for now is that many civil servants are bitter and disenchanted with Nigeria and they have inherited a culture of ‘wait for your turn’. This means that they live on these paltry sums until they attain privileged positions – by transfer or promotion – and then proceed to take their pound of flesh from the nation, with vengeance. This problem cannot be ignored. At least we can start the debate and get it going. We commit to fundamentally reform and reposition the public service for efficiency and effectiveness, to match any of their peers around the world. We note that the public service in many countries areservices in many countries are now seen as better performers and managers of resources compared with the private sector. This is doable in Nigeria.

10. UNITY, ETHICS, PEACE AND JUSTICE

ANRP is all about the Unity of our great nation, Nigeria. We believe that our Unity is non-negotiable, even if our current structure is. We condemn the activities of politicians in the past who have undermined the unity of Nigeria by stoking ethnic and religious embers. We believe we haven’t done enough work in promoting our unity, and that there is much at store for Nigeria if we would be truly united. Our party provides a platform – especially for the young people of Nigeria – to continue to explore avenues for unity afresh. Many young Nigerians have been born into an era of national distrust. We cannot allow the nation to continue to drift down this path.

The etymology of our languages (their origins and similarities) is a great place for the youths to start. The similarity of many of our languages show that our ancestors had frequently interacted, form the north to south, east to west of this country. In an Age of Information such as we live in, mutual understanding should be enhanced. We will do everything to ensure Nigerians value each other as human beings, and not pigeon-hole each other based on religion, tribe or creed. For this reason we have called this a “THIS IS OUR OWN” party, and have translated that to as many as 50 Nigerian languages. We notice the similarity among many of them, which tells very eloquently, that we are one, and that our ancestors interacted with themselves, traded and intermarried, and had immense respects for themselves. We believe we can do even more of that today.

We shall encourage the abrogation of ‘state of origin’ as a divisive factor in our public engagements and on government forms, as a way to promote unity. We shall engage in serious dialogue to find ways out of this quagmire.

Ethical living shall be our watchword. The ultimate test in ethic is the “Headline News Test”. We will weigh anything we do, as a party, as members of the party, or as individuals appointed or elected into office on the platform of this party, from the perspective of “how will it sound or look if splashed in the front pages of newspapers tomorrow morning?”. If the story doesn’t not look or sound good, we will refrain from getting involved. Ethical living shall also guide the party’s internal structures, and shall be propagated across the country under our watch, and even from our position as opposition. We will not dodge under the auspices of legalism to avoid doing the right thing, because beyond the law – which we shall totally adhere to – there is morality.

Nigeria’s motto on our coat of arms is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”… This is very laudable and profound. But it has become evident that Unity, Faith, Peace and Progress are totally dependent on Justice, Equity and Fairness. Achieving equity requires one to come with clean hands, and profound justice and fairness would always require sacrifice on the part of all parties involved in an issue or dispute. Deliberations usually break down, and people resort to war and rancor, when one or more parties stick to their positions, never to budge. We shall carefully work towards making people see the need to give a little and take a little (reciprocity). It will be an arduous task; especially given that each passing day we are deepening the wounds that have afflicted this nation. We believe all the same that if we do not start now, the cost may be too steep.

11. TRANSPARENCY

Our strongest shield shall be Transparency and Openness. They say that sunshine is the best disinfectant in the world. ANRP has started out with transparency and will continue along that line. We believe there is nothing to hide and there should be nothing to hide in the management of the resources of our people and country. We will maintain a verifiable party register. Our decisions will be subject to scrutiny by the people, and there shall be internal transparency. As enshrined in our constitution, all internal nominations for political positions shall be done by open voting – Option A4, or where convenient, by show of hands. We shall abhor hanky-panky and imposition of unpopular and incompetent candidates on our people. Contestants for positions will make presentations of their intentions to a select committee of executive officers, even if there is only one person contesting for a position on our platform. Transparency will be our guide and shall protect us from internal crises, internal subterfuge and external aggression. This is because decisions made plain and open, cannot be successfully contested since there shall be no grey areas.

12. DIVERSIFICATION/RESOURCE-CONTROL/RESTRUCTURING

This is perhaps the thorniest issue in Nigeria today. But it is also a non-issue because countries can only become great and sustainable on the back of what the people in that country use their brains for, and not how they share the proceeds of mineral resources. The prices of mineral resources are often determined abroad, so resource-dependent countries are always vulnerable. The best countries are those who device complex products and services on which the entire world is dependent. We will emphasize the development of human capital and the churning out of INNOVATIONS in all spheres of national life (social, political, economic, scientific and other types of innovation). We have seen that for countries, in a world governed by globalization, it is either they innovate, or die.

On the issue of restructuring for the purpose of resource control, our view is first of a lean Federal Government, which continues to grow leaner but more efficient. The Federal Government should play a philosophical role for the nation; it should be an ideas and ideological engine room, and not get bogged down in the construction of infrastructure projects that it is unable to maintain and draw sustained value from – even though there are some essential national infrastructure which cannot be left to states or local governments. These types of projects should increasingly be limited to those the Federal Government can adequately supervise and maintain. Value-for-money is of essence and it is in the maintenance that the VALUE for infrastructure projects reside.

We believe the Federal Government should cede more responsibilities to the States, which should in turn cede powers to the Local Government. This will be gradual but must commence. What this implies is that the strongest brains, and most experienced implementers with the best global exposure, should occupy positions at the Local Government level. Many State Governments have not shown the required level of responsibility till date, and a recent Supreme Court judgment invalidates their summary dismissal and dissolution of Local Governmental structures by state governors. Local Governments must come back strongly, but we require our best brains at that level. The local government is not just for sharing the commonwealth and attending social events. Utmost caution is required in the matter of restructuring. Beyond political restructuring is the need to think of economic restructuring. Economic restructuring can be commenced immediately, while consistent and intense dialogue among political stakeholders, and different tiers of government informs the metamorphosis of political restructuring.

To this extent, we shall start from day one to strive for the inversion of the present revenue allocation formula, to be skewed more in favour of the local governments than any other level. We believe the Federal Government should control the least revenue in an situation where we need to cause infrastructural revolution at the local level which will in turn lead to an explosion of Small and Medium enterprises across the country and ensure true diversification of the economy.

13. LEGISLATURE

As much as the legislature under a presidential system of government represents the people at the grassroots, we have seen in Nigeria how that ideal has become watered down and how being a legislator is now tantamount to working to benefit oneself. Many legislators – at federal and state levels – are totally disconnected from the constituencies that they purport to represent, hardly showing up at their constituencies, or in the Assembly. This has led to the strident calls by Nigerians that these roles be performed on part-time basis only. We at ANRP believe in any positive approach that leads to cost and administrative efficiency. We are all about achieving a better Nigeria. To this extent, we shall be a party that constant pushes for a reduction in the budget of our legislature in proportion to annual budgets, and shall be willing and able to explore other avenues – under our watch – to use the instruments of moral suasion and logical persuasion, to change the current system for the better. We believe the governmental structure is presently too expensive and we shall push for part-time or allowance remuneration-based National and State Assemblies.

14. COMMUNICATION

Because we know that communication in today’s Information Age, has become THE major part of leadership and management, and that in order to make any positive impact on society, leader/managers must constantly communicate to the people what they are doing, what their dreams are, and how the people can contribute effectively (because at the end of the day the people hold the final ace in developing their country), we shall promote always, a culture of communication across all the levels of leadership among our elected members. To this extent, all those elected into executive positions on our platform, be they President, State Governors or Local Government Chairmen, shall, as a matter of necessity, communicate their thoughts to the constituencies over which they are responsible, at least once a week. In this way, the people can stay informed and develop a sense of belonging because the way has been pointed out to them.

Communication breakdown is responsible for so many ills in our society, and is at the bottom of many of our ethno-religious crises, unnecessary litigations, misunderstanding of requirements on major projects, and even corruption, among others. Our leadership is one that understands the power of communication and will constantly review and reposition our strategy in that regards.

15. SACRIFICE, DELAYED GRATIFICATION

ANRP is committed to be a party of personal sacrifice and delayed gratification, where anyone elected on our platform – on the basis of our constitution – commits to strive for the commonwealth of the nation to be deployed in the most efficient, effective and prudent manner and under the most frugal management, towards the betterment of the majority first and foremost. To this extent, we are not a party that provides a platform for the further emptying of the treasury and decimation of the commonwealth. Where necessary, we are ready to defer the appurtenances of office for a day when it would be reasonable. We will not support the purchase of luxury cars and mansions, under any guise, for our elected officials, when the economy is going through dire straits. We will urge and encourage our elected officials to make these necessary sacrifices for God and country such as to save Nigeria from the doldrums, and to set new examples in governance. We cannot afford to be part of the problem we purport to be against. We shall also consider the merits of the ‘monetization’ regime instituted and jettisoned by previous regimes, towards reducing the cost of governance. We shall also ensure all our elected officials use the services provided by the state as a way of ensuring these services work well.

16. SECTORAL CONSIDERATIONS AND PROMISES
17. YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
18. Creation of 1,000,000 sustainable jobs for youth between the ages of 15 and 24 in
19. Environment (recycling, tree planting, erosion-control, oil spills, active redecoration and painting of public spaces)
20. Paramilitary service (public law and order)
21. Tourism sector (tour companies and tour guides)
22. Encouragement of internships for this category of Nigerians in all Nigerian companies

iii. Creation of at least 200,000 university graduate jobs through this scheme (one graduate to supervise 5 non-graduates)

1. CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS
2. Re-consideration of core Ministries vs. Departments and Agencies emoluments
3. Staff audit for all MDAs (Ministries, Department and Agencies)

iii. Redeployments to deficit units and promotion of productivity in the service.

1. Reconsideration of some of the merits of ‘monetization’.
2. Use of IT-based solutions for all issues of staff engagement in all MDAs (attendance, performance management, disengagement etc). Biometrics all the way
3. Total eradication of Ghost worker syndrome using information technology

vii. We shall ensure the integrity of the recruitment process into the civil service, away from current nepotism and political patronage

1. ANTI-CORRUPTION
2. Launch zero-tolerance on corruption campaign and ensure unbiased and speedy prosecution of offenders
3. Ensure open declaration of assets by all persons elected on our platforms as they begin their service to motherland, and when they finish.

iii. Fast-track establishment of anti-corruption courts dedicated to the prompt dispatch of cases.

1. Ensure corrupt Nigerians actually see the deterrents and consequences by following through with stiff punishments.
2. Ensure all public sector workers are paid a reasonable living wage
3. Embark on mass reorientation of values nationwide

vii. Engage thought leaders on aspects of our culture which promote corruption towards gradual readjustments (e.g. expensive traditional obligations and practices)

viii. Institute elite corps of anti-corruption inspectors that will act as mystery shoppers in all MDAs and active revenue collection points

1. Ensure full prosecution of all corruption allegations
2. Ensure efficiency and autonomy for anti-corruption agencies.
3. Treat all cases of corruption with alacrity and dispatch wherever they may occur

xii. As home-grown elixirs against corruption work, set about subtly managing Nigeria’s image abroad as a corruption haven.

xiii. Purge public service payroll of ghost workers using technology, curb all IT-based frauds presently going on in the areas of disbursement and contract-cloning

1. ENVIRONMENT
2. Treat the environment as the last bastion of development and employment creation.
3. Ensure that the Ecological Funds are deployed for intended purpose of ensuring Nigerian environment is clean, safe and up to international standards, and for disaster control.

iii. Educate the Nigerian public as to the importance of the environment and its effect on other aspects – health, security, tourism, sustainability etc

1. Accelerate the use of environmentally-friendly energy solutions
2. Like happened in India, launch an extensive program to reduce open-defecation in Nigeria from 50million people (as recorded by the United Nations) to zero, by causing mass construction of toilets, bathrooms and kitchens in every home in Nigeria – especially in the rural areas. This will create about 800,000 jobs for masons, plumbers, and other artisans all around the country, and also reduce the public health bill by an estimated N3billion year on year.
3. Embark on mass tree-planting in deforesting zones of northern Nigeria as a fight back against the encroaching Sahara Desert. This was done in China and South Korea. It will create at least 50,000 sustainable jobs, and greatly improve the environment there, while creating more grazing lands.

vii. Collaborate with relevant departments in Nigerian universities, polytechnics and vocational colleges to devise a major hands-on strategy for the curbing of gully erosion and landslides in South East and South-South Nigeria, as well as other parts of Nigeria. This will also create at least 20,000 new jobs for geographers, environmentalists and more.

viii. Embark on the restoration of the environment in South-South Nigeria. The despoilation occurred as a result of oil spills and oil drilling, as well as ‘illegal’ refining of crude oil. Tap into local techniques for refining to see if they can be standardized and regulated.

1. Encourage the establishment of recycling plants in ALL Nigerian cities. Incentivise this business within limits and ensure that all middle-class to high-class residential areas sort their refuse for ease of collection. This will create at least 300,000 sustainable jobs
2. Incitivise the use of energy-saving bulbs, and educate the public on the need to conserve energy and be aware of wastage of any resource – especially publicly owned.
3. Launch a program for the transfer of knowledge to local technicians and youth, on the manufacture of solar panels and other components

xii. Launch a program to make Nigeria the solar-panel capital for Africa. All major buildings and luxury houses to make standard provisions for solar-energy integration.

1. EDUCATION
2. Ensure free quality basic education for all Nigerians
3. Ensure moral instructions and civic education in all primary and secondary schools

iii. Ensure basic IT training in all public primary and secondary schools

1. Return inter-school competitions to groom talents that will be useful for Nigeria at national level in all sports
2. Ensure the teaching of practical Agriculture and ownership of small to large farms by secondary schools and universities subject to availability of land
3. Retool teachers at basic education level and pay them living wages. Return the dignity to the teaching profession.

vii. Standardize qualifications for the teaching profession to ensure proper dissemination of knowledge

viii. Invest in e-Libraries for all major cities in Nigeria.

1. Standardize critical subjects that should be compulsory for Nigerian students up to Secondary Level, such as History, Sociology, and a basic knowledge of Nigeria’s Geography.
2. Implement policy to ‘harvest’ Nigeria’s investment in education from secondary school level through incentivisation and creation of unskilled jobs across the nation.
3. Expand and upgrade all government-owned universities along the benchmarks of global university ratings.

xii. Review curriculum at university level to ensure the suit current needs in our strategic industries

xiii. Cause Federal universities to be research centres in specific fields, and to display their universality in the way they apply their human resources to solve their own problems.

1. POWER
2. Innovative ideas to ensure balance between industrial and rural electrification capabilities
3. Rigorous encouragement of alternative energy solutions in different areas of the economy.

iii. Make Nigeria the solar-power hub for Africa and train Nigerian youths on the manufacturing of solar panels and other components

1. Enhancing of independent power generation and distribution on cluster basis
2. Implementation of policy that enforces part use of solar panel by certain categories of buildings
3. Encouragement of indigenous innovations in the use of solar and other alternative forms of energy in Nigeria.

vii. Collaboration with global bodies on alternative energy (Green Foundations) to tap into financing for power industry in Nigeria.

viii. Review of current power value-chain to address inefficiencies and complaints from all stakeholders including GENCOs, DISCOs, and especially, Industries and Households.

1. EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
2. Encouragement of private capital in extractive industry.
3. Strict environmental regulation of activities in extractive industries

iii. Enhanced accountability according to global standards of extractive industry transparency

1. HUMAN CAPITAL
2. Emphasis on Human Resource as the most important resource in the land.
3. Investment in human capital especially the vulnerable youths

iii. Encouragement of innovative ideas in all aspects of living

1. Encouraging handshake between human resource development strategy and education.
2. FINANCE
3. FOREIGN EXCHANGE
4. Enforce market-drive, non-discriminatory exchange rate
5. Encourage made-in-Nigeria goods but gradually decrease the restrictions of access to foreign exchange for legitimate use – this will eliminate the ‘black’ market to an insignificant level.
6. The Central Bank shall be part of the market and perform occasional stabilization roles through normal market interactions. Nobody will get any preference rates; certainly not government operatives.
7. NATIONAL DEBT
8. Encouragement of frugality in the management of resources so as to reduce external debts
9. Focus on constant servicing and pay-down of internal debts to reflate the economy
10. Reversal of current trend whereby 40% of national revenue goes towards debt servicing

iii. BUDGET DEFICITS

1. Reverse the trend of constant budget deficits by overhauling the budgeting process.
2. All CEOs of MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) to be given revenue targets as the basis of their engagements, and the revenue targets will drive their expenditure budgets.
3. Eradication of ‘cost-centre’ mentality in MDAs, by which they see themselves as mere spenders of the commonwealth
4. Moratorium on some unnecessary spending for leisure and feel-good purposes for at least two years to allow the economy come back to life
5. FINANCING THE ECONOMY
6. Consideration of progressive taxation such as property taxes and vehicle road taxes, carbon emissions taxes (based on engine capacity) as well as simple fines, to finance the economy as is done elsewhere in the world
7. Emphasise Capital Gains Taxes on property transfer, inheritance taxes, and luxury taxes on categories of consumption as done in advanced countries
8. Encouragement of beneficial and non-exploitative PPP financing and private capital inflows
9. Encouragement of foreign investors without cheapening the country through myriads of wasteful foreign tours.
10. Encouragement of Nigerians to keep their investments in Nigeria. Presently Nigerian investments head out of the country while we then seek investments from foreigners.
11. Consolidation of all national biometric schemes for better expenditure tracking
12. DIVERSIFICATION
13. Encouragement of economic self-reliance as the bottom line in economic diversification
14. Learning from diversified economies around the world as to how the game of globalization is played
15. Encouragement of Economic Complexity (value-addition to our products) in order to generate needed foreign exchange
16. Encouragement of made-in-Nigeria products through the creation of a new class of spenders (15-24 years old youth are the focus of our employment generation – they buy local)
17. REPORTING THE ECONOMY
18. Emphasizing other ways of reporting the economy as different from GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – which does not speak to the reality of the Nigerian people
19. Benchmarking government on what really matters such as Human Development (Poverty, education, access to health, life expectancy etc), general well being and national happiness
20. Adopting this straight and narrow route to reporting the economy in a way that puts government on its toes. We believe that government is not a tea party for the pleasure of its operatives, but for sacrifice
21. TEXTILE
22. Encouragement of private sector investments in textile industry
23. Re-prioritization of textile sector in Nigeria as avenue for conserving foreign exchange and promoting economic diversification

iii. Intelligent and consistent promotion of made-in-Nigeria goods, especially textiles

1. Encouragement of innovations in boosting productivity and capacity in the production of indigenous Nigerian clothing such as Adire, A’nger, Aso-Oke etc so as to make them cheaper and more widely-used.
2. AGRICULTURE
3. Cede more of the responsibility for Agricultural production to the States to concentrate on their areas of advantage.
4. Intensify Agricultural research to obtain the best from our local products.

iii. Incentivize Agric value-chain, especially food preservation towards reducing wastage in season and stabilizing prices out of season

1. HEALTH
2. Expand the current structure by providing more facilities and personnel across the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
3. Standardise Health Insurance for all citizens

iii. Encourage Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the provision of services.

1. Ensure vigorous handshake between environmental management and public health systems
2. Establish and encourage industrial harmony, eliminate unhealthy interdisciplinary rivalry
3. End incessant strikes and in the health sector

vii. Reduce public health bill drastically by encouraging building of toilets in all houses in Nigeria – to reduce open-defecation to zero

viii. Upgrade all primary health care centres across the country

1. Halt brain-drain of medical personnel to other countries by paying living wages to them
2. Create 300,000 new jobs in the medical field under two years – to reduce the current dearth of medical staff and assistants
3. Create 300,000 new jobs for health and sanitary inspectors with focus on low-income areas.

xii. Provide clean water for all as the first step in achieving a workable health policy

1. DEFENCE AND SECURITY
2. Re-prioritization of security of lives and property as the first responsibility of government.
3. Enhancement of intelligence operations to serve as first defense against internal and external aggression.

iii. Encouragement of citizens to assist the state in keeping an eye on their community

1. Promotion of unity as a fundamental requirement of national security.
2. Constant dialogue between all Nigerian peoples and groups to encourage mutual understanding as a key aspect of ensuring national peace.
3. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
4. Encouragement of rigorous handshake between science and technology and educational sectors
5. Encouragement of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics but with balance in the understand of society

iii. Encouragement of innovation in all aspect of social living to promote national self-reliance

1. Encouragement of research and development as a major budget item.
2. JUSTICE
3. Ensuring of justice for all in every circumstances
4. Continuous scrutiny and study of justice system to ensure the integrity of the system

iii. Zero tolerance on corruption in judicial system

1. Use of Information Technology to reduce delays in cases and congestion of cases with judges.
2. Enhancement of IT-based resources to assist judges in the recording and dispensing of cases
3. INFRASTRUCTURE
4. National audit of infrastructure in order to increase utility
5. Promotion of maintenance culture on all infrastructure

iii. Development of ‘maintenance budgets’ that reduces the building of white elephant projects and focus on multiple uses for existing infrastructure

1. Encouragement of private-sector led financing of viable infrastructure.
2. Protection of the citizens from exploitation from private-sector monopolies or oligopolies
3. Embark on massive urban regeneration and job creation by focusing on beautification, aesthetics, symmetry, control of pollution, prevention of loss of lives, and reduction in development and maintenance costs.

vii. Ensuring all public places are accessible to the physically challenged

1. FOREIGN POLICY
2. To maintain a sophisticated foreign policy that is focused on building alliances and ensuring global peace
3. To strategically optimize the well-being of Nigeria and Nigerians in our foreign policy commitments

iii. To halt the illegal migration and death of Nigerians through the Sahara Desert or elsewhere, by creating a better society that cares for its most vulnerable.

1. To join forces with global bodies to fight human and drug trafficking, piracy and abuse in all its ramifications.
2. INDUSTRIAL/TRADE POLICIES
3. To amplify the buy made-in-Nigeria policy
4. To encourage a dynamic corporate culture that promotes locally made corporate attires especially in the public service

iii. To ensure 40% of public procurements go to local SMEs

1. Incentivize SMEs through local content laws in all sectors
2. Incentivize SMEs by standardizing infrastructure to make business easier and ensure that loans are not obtained by businesses to procure infrastructure thus putting them at advantage against foreign competition
3. Facilitate the establishment of Private-sector led industrial parks and Free Trade Zones.

vii. Facilitate internal trade through the upgrading of transport infrastructure – inland waterways, roads, and rail systems. All transport infrastructure to have user specification in order to have sustainability.

CONCLUSION

We have prepared a comprehensive manifesto which however may not cater for the entire concerns of every Nigerian. We rest assured though, that within these intentions lie seeds of good governance that will set Nigeria on the right developmental path. We do not delude ourselves that it will be a walk in the park, and we reiterate that for every gain, Nigerians should be ready to give a little. Constant adjustments and the reduction of sense of entitlement, is what lifts a nation. What we have provided for, are however those critical issues that Nigeria has no business lacking at this moment in history. We have also provided for critical steps and processes that will halt the further hemorrhaging of our resources and the disenfranchisement of our human capital.

Please join us on this interesting odyssey. We count very much on your support.

ABUNDANT NIGERIA RENEWAL PARTY (ANRP)

OUR MOTTO: RENEWAL, RENAISSANCE, RESPECT!

OUR SLOGAN: ABUNDANT NIGERIA!