Experts back Tinubu’s 2026–2030 development plan, urge strong implementation framework
The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), alongside political economists and development specialists, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for proposing the 2026–2030 National Development Plan (NDP), describing it as a significant shift after years of policy discontinuity, The Nation Newspaper reported.
The endorsement came at a one-day high-level policy dialogue titled “The National Development Plan (2026–2030): Strategic Imperatives for Economic Transformation and Poverty Alleviation,” organised by Centre LSD in Abuja.
President Tinubu had, on February 10, 2026, unveiled the five-year “Renewed Hope Plan,” aimed at building a $1 trillion economy through economic diversification and private sector-led growth.
The NDP is anchored on five pillars: economic diversification to reduce dependence on oil; human capital development through investment in health and education; subnational competitiveness by empowering states to harness comparative advantages; private sector-led growth; and climate resilience through sustainable infrastructure.
In his keynote address, Dr. Izozo Izu, a political economist and lecturer at Nile University, Abuja, described the initiative as a welcome departure from past approaches abandoned by previous administrations. However, he cautioned that the government must avoid the pitfalls that undermined earlier development plans, including political instability, policy inconsistency, corruption, financial constraints, weak implementation, and ineffective public-private partnerships.
He stressed that deliberate and disciplined execution would determine the plan’s success, adding that critical instruments must be prioritised.
According to Izu, conducting a credible national population and housing census is essential for effective planning and implementation. He also emphasised the need to guarantee the security of lives and property, including sustained stabilisation of communities previously affected by terrorism and banditry.
He called for robust governance structures, including a national steering committee, central working group, and technical working groups, with annual budgets aligned to the development plan. Transparency and accountability, he said, must underpin the process.
Izu further proposed an investment framework to strengthen private sector participation and boost international confidence to attract foreign direct investment toward achieving the $1 trillion economic target by 2030. He urged prioritisation of infrastructure, agriculture, and energy, including a proposed $2.6 billion electricity sector reform.
On subnational roles, he advised that states should leverage their comparative advantages to stimulate local growth, while maintaining fiscal discipline in the management of borrowed funds and implementing tax reforms to enhance revenue generation.
He also urged the government to consolidate on the 3.9 per cent GDP growth recorded in the third quarter of 2025 by addressing structural gaps in previous development frameworks.
Earlier, Executive Director of Centre LSD, Mr. Monday Osasah, represented by the Board Secretary, Mr. Ernest Kemakolam, described the 2026–2030 NDP as an opportunity to redefine Nigeria’s development trajectory.
He said the policy dialogue was designed as a platform to interrogate the assumptions, priorities, and implementation mechanisms of the plan, and to contribute to agenda-setting and policy reform.
According to him, “Our Policy Dialogue Series is designed to contribute to agenda setting, policy reform, and national transformation by bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on strategic national issues.”
According to him, “Our Policy Dialogue Series is designed to contribute to agenda setting, policy reform, and national transformation by bringing together key stakeholders to deliberate on strategic national issues.
“Nigeria has the resources. Nigeria has the people. Nigeria has the potential. What is required now is strategic leadership, effective institutions, and collective commitment.”
He said the dialogue was therefore not just another policy conversation but a strategic platform to interrogate the assumptions, priorities, and implementation mechanisms of the National Development Plan.
