FG Targets Economic Growth Rate of 7% by 2020 Jonathan Eze and Nume Ekeghe The federal government has said it intends to attain a growth rate of 7 per cent by 2020 with the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) launched five months ago. It added that the country
must spend about 3-5 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to address its infrastructure challenges, noting that the 0.5 per cent budgetary allocation to infrastructure was largely insufficient to meet the nation’s
infrastructure needs. Hence, the government said it would seek for improved partnership with the private sector to address the infrastructure deficit. The remarks were made by the Minister of Budget and
National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma in Lagos yesterday at a briefing to herald the 23rd Nigerian Economic Summit scheduled to hold on October 10-12 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. He said the theme of
this year’s summit tagged, “Opportunities, Productivity and Employment: Actualising the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP),” would be linked to the implementation of the plan, pointing out that this was
EFCC Recovers N409bn, $70m in Eight Months… Page 46
critical to achieving the ambitious goals of the present administration in diversifying the economy and attaining a growth rate of 7 per cent by 2020. However, Udoma called for collaborative efforts to address Nigeria’s infrastructure Continued on page 13
Wednesday 20 September, 2017 Vol 22. No 8189. Price: N250
www.thisdaylive.com TR
UT H
& RE A S O
N
FG to Block IPOB’s Source of Funding, NAF Deploys Aircraft to Support Troops… Page 12
Buhari at UNGA Canvasses International Material Support for Anti-corruption War Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday called for international co-operation and material support for his administration’s prosecution of the war against corruption and asset recovery. Buhari who made this call while delivering a speech
during the General Debate of the 72nd Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, said state institutions in the country were being strengthened to promote accountability and curtail corruption. Buhari, whose statement Continued on page 13
Amosun Faults Data by Finance Ministry, NBS FIRS on VAT Contributions
Says Ogun is second highest contributor to VAT Nume Ekeghe Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has described the data churned out by the Federal Ministry of Finance, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as regards to the contributions of the state to Value Added Tax (VAT) as misrepresentative. He said the claim that Kano, Oyo and Osun States, among
other states, contributed more than Ogun State could not be true, as Ogun has the highest number of industries in the country, noting that the only state that surpasses his state is Lagos. The governor added that with the pace of development and new investors setting up industries in the state, Ogun might match Lagos Continued on page 13
Customs Intercepts Another Cache of Arms at Tin-Can Port... Page 46
BACK ON THE GLOBAL STAGE... President Muhammadu Buhari addressing world leaders at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in New York… yesterday
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA
OFFER CLOSES SEPTEMBER 22, 2017