In the next few days, I will present our 2024 Budget for Economic Recovery before the House of Assembly. I must state that I appreciate the recent interest people have shown in line items in the 2023 budget. But as our Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning pointed out, learning about and following the implementation process is more important. That a budget has been approved does not mean that the money will be released.

Also, in the spirit of my reflections, I have decided to read a book written by our own Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, a development Economist and currently the Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). The book is titled Rich Country, Poor People: Reversing Nigeria’s Story of Inequality and Poverty Amid Plenty to a Story of Shared Prosperity.

If other thoughts penned down by Prof are anything to go by, I believe I will be learning vital lessons from this book that will assist my team and me in making even better decisions that will bring economic prosperity to our people.

One of the things that Prof talked about in this book is the need for industrialisation. Of course, we cannot achieve a rise in manufacturing without creating a conducive environment. This is why we have always said that government should concentrate on creating an enabling environment so that private investments can thrive. I will definitely share any additional insights I find in my next newsletter.

Talk to you again soon.