Sunday, August 26, 2007

Nigeria’s Grand Plan to Become a Top 20 Economy

An annual economic growth rate target of 13 percent with a stable and predictable macro-economic environment was set for the country at the weekend when ministers and other presidential aides ended a three-day retreat in Abuja.

A communiqué released at the end of the retreat declared that the Federal Government would design specific interventions targeted at sectors in which the country has comparative advantage.

The government also said it would develop major commercial and industrial centres and mega cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Kaduna, Kano and Enugu based on their potential as catalysts for enhanced industrial development.... MORE from AllAfrica

It seems ambitious. Ton the other hand the country does have 140 million people and oil that hasn't been kleptocricized yet.

Here's another story:
Experts divided on making Nigeria top 20 economy

Economic experts at a workshop on Financial System Strategy (FSS 2020) here are divided on the feasibility or otherwise of Nigeria attaining its goal of being among the top 20 economies in the world by 2020.

"I do not think the Nigeria financial sector is ready enough to compete in the world leading best economy, given what is on the ground as regards the state of infrastructure and others," said Ayo Teriba, a leading Nigerian economist.

He said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), rather than coming up with the FSS proposal, should critically look at what the state of the financial system is at today and where it would likely to be in the next five years before talking about 2020....

From AfriquEnligne