New Year Message To The Nation From The Office of The President Federal Republic of Nigeria

Dear Compatriots,
I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the year 2014 which promises to be a momentous one
for our country for several reasons, including the fact that it is also the year of our great nation’s
centenary celebrations. I join you all in giving. thanks to God Almighty for guiding us and our beloved nation safely through all the challenges of
the outgoing year to the beginning of 2014.

Exactly 100 years ago today, on January 1, 1914, the British Colonial authorities amalgamated what
was then the separate Protectorates of Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, giving birth to the
single geopolitical entity known as Nigeria. For us therefore, today is not just the beginning of a new
year, but the end of a century of national existence and the beginning of another. It is a moment for
sober reflection and for pride in all that is great about Nigeria.

Whatever challenges we may have faced, whatever storms we may have confronted and survived,
Nigeria remains a truly blessed country, a country
of gifted men and women who continue to distinguish themselves in all spheres of life, a country whose diversity remains a source of
strength. We pay tribute today, as always to our founding fathers and mothers, and all the heroes
and heroines whose toil and sweat over the century made this country what it is today.

As I noted, a few days ago, the amalgamation of 1914 was certainly not a mistake but a blessing. As we celebrate 100 years of nationhood, we must resolve to continue to work together as one, united people, to make our country even greater.

I assure you that our administration remains fully committed to the progressive development of our
country and the consolidation of peace, unity and democratic governance in our fatherland. Despite
several continuing domestic and global challenges, for us in Nigeria, the year 2013 witnessed many
positive developments which we will strive to build
upon in 2014.

We have diligently carried forward the purposeful and focused implementation of our agenda for
national transformation in priority areas such as power, the rehabilitation and expansion of national infrastructure, agricultural development, education
and employment generation.

You may recall that our 2013 Budget was on the theme, “Fiscal Consolidation with Inclusive
Growth”, and I emphasized the need for us to “remain prudent with our fiscal resources and also
ensure that the Nigerian economy keeps growing and creating jobs”. I am pleased to report that we
have stayed focused on this goal.

Our national budget for 2014 which is now before the National Assembly is specifically targeted at
job creation and inclusive growth. We are keenly aware that in spite of the estimated 1.6 million new
jobs created across the country in the past 12 months as a result of our actions and policies,
more jobs are still needed to support our growing
population. Our economic priorities will be stability
and equitable growth, building on the diverse
sectors of our economy.

In 2013, we commenced implementation of the
National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) aimed at
industrializing Nigeria and diversifying our
economy into sectors such as agro-processing,
light manufacturing, and petrochemicals. We have
also negotiated a strong Common External Tariff
(CET) agreement with our ECOWAS partners which
would enable us to protect our strategic industries
where necessary.

I am pleased to note that as a result of our backward integration policies, Nigeria has moved
from a country that produced 2 million metric
tonnes of cement in 2002, to a country that now has
a capacity of 28.5 million metric tonnes. For the
first time in our history, we have moved from being
a net importer of cement to a net exporter. Foreign
direct investment into Nigeria has also been strong.
In fact, for the second year running, the UN
Conference on Trade and Development has named
Nigeria as the number 1 destination for investments
in Africa.

We are witnessing a revolution in the agricultural
sector and the results are evident. We have tackled
corruption in the input distribution system as many
farmers now obtain their fertilizers and seeds
directly through an e-wallet system. In 2013, 4.2
million farmers received subsidized inputs via this
programme. This scheme has restored dignity to
our farmers.

Last year we produced over 8 million metric tonnes of additional food; and this year, inflation fell to its
lowest level since 2008 partly due to higher domestic food production. Our food import bill has
also reduced from N1.1 trillion in 2011, to N648
billion in 2012, placing Nigeria firmly on the path to
food self-sufficiency.
The sector is also supporting more jobs. Last year,
we produced 1.1 million metric tonnes of dry
season rice across 10 Northern states; and over
250,000 farmers and youths in these States are now
profitably engaged in farming even during the dry
season.

This Administration is also developing our water
resources which are key for both our food production and job creation goals. In 2013, we
completed the construction of nine dams which
increased the volume of our water reservoirs by
422 million cubic metres. Through our irrigation
and drainage programme, we have increased the
total irrigated area by over 31,000 hectares creating
jobs for over 75,000 farming families while
increasing production of over 400,000 metric tons
of assorted irrigated food products.
Fellow Compatriots, I have always believed that the
single greatest thing we can do to ensure all
Nigerians realize their potential and play a full part
in our nation’s future, is to invest in education. The
education of our young people is a key priority for
this Government. We take this responsibility very
seriously and I urge all other stakeholders in the
sector to recognize the national importance of their
work, and to help advance the cause of education in
our nation.

Between 2007 and 2013, we have almost tripled the
allocation for education from N224 billion to N634 billion – and we will continue to vigorously support
the sector. We have improved access to education in the country with the construction of 125 Almajiri
schools, and the establishment of three additional
Federal Universities in the North, bringing to twelve, the number of universities established by
this administration.
In 2013, we rehabilitated 352 laboratories and
constructed 72 new libraries in the Federal Unity
Schools; and also rehabilitated laboratories of all
the 51 Federal and State polytechnics across the
country.

In the Health sector, we are building strong safety
nets and improving access to primary health care
under the Saving One Million Lives programme. In
2013, we recruited 11,300 frontline health workers
who were deployed to under-served communities
across the country. Over 400,000 lives have been
saved through our various interventions. We have
reached over 10,000 women and children with
conditional cash transfer programmes across 8
States and the FCT and we intend to scale up this
successful initiative.
Our national immunization coverage has exceeded
80%. And for the first time in the history of the
country there has not been any transmission of the
Type-3 Wild Polio virus for more than one year. We
have also eradicated the guinea worm that
previously affected the lives of over 800,000
Nigerians yearly. In tertiary health care, we
upgraded medical facilities across the country.
Two of our teaching hospitals – the University of
Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu, and the
University College Hospital in Ibadan – commenced
open heart surgeries this year after the installation
of new facilities.

Fellow Nigerians, I have dwelt on some of our administration’s achievements in 2013 to reassure
you that we are working and results are being achieved on the ground. As we enter our Centennial
year, there is still much work ahead. We are determined to sustain our strong macroeconomic
fundamentals, to strengthen our domestic institutions, and to invest in priority sectors. These
investments will create more jobs for our youth.

Government will at the same time, continue to
scale-up investments in safety nets and the MDGs to take care of the poor and the vulnerable so that
they too can share in our growth and prosperity.
In 2014, we will continue to prioritize investments
in key sectors such as infrastructure development,
power, roads, rail transportation and aviation. In the
past year, the Federal Government completed the
privatization of four power generation companies
and 10 power distribution companies. We are also
in the process of privatizing 10 power plants under
the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).
We shall boost investments in transmission to
ensure power generated is properly evacuated and
distributed. In this regard, we have already
mobilized an additional $1.5 billion for the upgrade
of the transmission network in 2014 and beyond.
Government will also strengthen regulation of the
sector, and closely monitor electricity delivery to
increase this beyond 18 hours per day. We will
complete the privatization of the NIPP projects,
accelerate work on our gas pipeline infrastructure
and also continue to invest in hydro-electric power
and clean energy as we monitor the effects of
climate change on our economy.
Our administration believes that the cost of
governance in the country is still too high and must
be further reduced. We will also take additional
steps to stem the tide of corruption and leakages.
We have worked hard to curb fraud in the
administration of the pension system and the
implementation of the petroleum subsidy scheme.
We have introduced a Pensions Transition
Arrangement Department under a new Director-
General. This department will now ensure that
those of our pensioners still under the old scheme
receive their pensions and gratuities, and are not
subjected to fraud. Prosecution of all those involved
in robbing our retired people will continue. The
Petroleum Subsidy Scheme is also now being
operated under new strict guidelines to tackle
previous leakages in the scheme and prevent fraud.
Foreign travel by government personnel will be
further curtailed. This directive shall apply to all
Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the
Federal Government. Our strategy to curb leakages
will increasingly rely on introducing the right
technologies such as biometrics and digitizing
government payments.

I am therefore pleased to inform you that we shall complete the deployment of the three electronic
platforms in 2014 – namely, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated Financial
Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the
Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information
System (IPPIS) – which are all geared towards
improving efficiency and transparency in our public
finances. Through these reforms, we have already saved about N126 billion in leaked funds and intend
to save more.

To sustain Nigeria’s ongoing agricultural transformation, we have planned further investments in the sector. We will provide input
subsidies to five million farmers nationwide using the e-wallet system. This Administration recently
launched a self-employment initiative under the
Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme
(YEAP), called the Nagropreneur programme. This
scheme would encourage our youth to go into
commercial agriculture as entrepreneurs and we
plan to develop over 750,000 young Nagropreneurs
by 2015.

We will also establish new agro-industrial clusters to complement the staple crop processing zones
being developed across the country. In 2014, this Administration will continue to work with the
private sector to improve financing in the agricultural sector. For example, we will launch the
Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN)
which will serve as a private equity fund to invest in
agri-businesses across the country.
Our Small and Medium scale enterprises (SMEs)
will be the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization.

We have about 17 million registered SMEs, and they employ over 32 million Nigerians. When our SMEs
grow, more jobs will be created for our youth.

Therefore, in 2014, this Administration will focus
strongly on implementing the Nigeria Enterprise
Development Programme (NEDEP) to address the
needs of small businesses. Our interventions will
include helping SMEs with access to affordable
finance, business development services, and youth
training. In addition, our new CET policies will
enable us to support our emerging industries.
We will also intensify our investment promotion
efforts abroad, to ensure we bring the biggest and
best companies from around the world to invest in
Nigeria.
Dear Compatriots, the housing and construction
industry is a critical sector in most developed
economies. When the housing sector booms, it
creates additional jobs for architects and masons,
for electricians and plumbers, for painters and
interior decorators, and for those in the cement and
furniture industries.
Today, I am pleased to inform you that this
Administration is reinvigorating our housing and
construction sector. We have established the
Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC)
which will increase liquidity in the housing sector,
provide a secondary market for mortgages, and
thereby increase the number of people able to
purchase or build homes at an affordable price in
the country.

In 2014, we will work in a number of pilot states
where the State Governors have agreed to provide
fast-track land titles, foreclosure arrangements,
and serviced plots. This new institution will enable
us to create over 200,000 mortgages over the next
five years at affordable interest rates. In addition,
those at the lower end of the economic ladder will
not be left behind as this new initiative will expand
mass housing schemes through a re-structured
Federal Mortgage Bank and other institutions to
provide rent-to-own and lease-to-own options. I
am confident that very soon, many more
hardworking Nigerian families will be able to
realize their dream of owning a home.
In this our centenary year, we will continue our
efforts, through the Saving One Million Lives
initiative to strengthen primary health care
services. We will scale up interventions in
reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health,
nutrition, routine immunization, HIV/AIDS, malaria
elimination, tuberculosis, neglected tropical
diseases, and non-communicable diseases. We
will pay greater attention to the provision of
universal health coverage. Besides the
implementation of new initiatives such as my
comprehensive response plan for HIV/AIDS, we
shall continue to collaborate with global health
partners to deliver our health sector transformation
agenda.

I am glad that the issues responsible for the long- drawn ASUU strike have been resolved and our
children are returning to their campuses. We are committed to making our tertiary institutions true
centers of learning for our young people. We will
therefore focus on upgrading hostels, laboratories,
classrooms, and halls. As the 2015 deadline for the
Millennium Development Goals approaches, we will
continue to expand access to basic education for all
Nigerian children. Working with State Governments,
we shall decisively tackle the problem of the large
numbers of out-of-school children in this country.

We will also invest in technical and vocational education to promote skills development for our
youth across the country.

Nigerian entrepreneurs still lack access to affordable financing, with medium-to-long-term
tenors. To address this gap, a new wholesale development finance institution will be established
in 2014 to provide medium-to long-term financing for Nigerian businesses. We are working with
partners such as the World Bank, the Africa Development Bank, the BNDES Bank in Brazil, and
KfW in Germany, to realize this project. Our existing Bank of Agriculture and Bank of Industry
will be re-structured as specialized institutions to
retail financing from this new wholesale
development bank.

In addition to the foregoing, our administration will
also do all within its powers to ensure the success
of the forthcoming National Conference. The report
of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the
Conference is undergoing urgent review and the
approved structure, guidelines and modalities for
the conference will soon be published as a prelude
to its commencement and expeditious conclusion.
It remains our sincere hope and expectation that the
success of the national conference will further
enhance national unity, peace and cohesion as we
move ahead to the 2015 general elections.
In keeping with our avowed commitment to
progressively enhancing the credibility of Nigeria’s
electoral process by consistently upholding the
principle of one man, one vote, our Administration
will also ensure that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) receives all required
support to ensure that it is adequately prepared for
the next general elections.
As peace and security remain prerequisite
conditions for the full realization of our objectives,
we will also do more in 2014 to further empower
our security agencies who are working in
collaborative partnerships with our friends in the
international community to stem the scourge of
terrorism in our country and enhance the security of
lives and property in all parts of Nigeria. The
allocation of over N600 Billion to Defence and
Policing in the 2014 Budget attests to this
commitment.

Fellow compatriots, the task of making our dear
nation a much better place for present and future
generations cannot be left to government alone. I
therefore urge you all to be ready and willing to do
more this year to support the implementation of the
Federal Government’s Agenda for National
Transformation in every possible way.

Let us all therefore resolve as we celebrate the new
year, and Nigeria’s Centenary, to place the higher
interests of national unity, peace, stability and
progress above all other considerations and work
harder in our particular fields of human endeavour
to contribute more significantly to the attainment of
our collective aspirations. I urge all Nigerians, no
matter their stations in life, to rededicate
themselves to contributing meaningfully to further
enrich our national heritage. The time for that re-
dedication is now, not tomorrow.
I wish you all a happy and rewarding 2014. God
bless Nigeria.

Happy New Year.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
December 31, 2013