Minister of budget and national planning, Atiku Bagudu, has said that Nigeria is going through a financial crisis and that the government is just managing to pay salaries.
Bagudu lamented the slow economic growth rate in the face of a fast increasing population, surging unemployment and high inflation.
The minister stated these at the 30th Annual Development Forum organised by the Live Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) in Abuja yesterday.
Bagudu, who was represented by the director, Bilateral Economic Cooperation in the Ministry, Dr Sampson Ebimaro, called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help the government to cover the spaces it could not.
The minister said, “Government faces enormous challenges especially now; the government is facing a revenue deficit. There is no money anywhere in the country; the government is just managing to pay salaries.
“The growth rate is very slow and the population growth is fast pacing and increasing. Unemployment is surging in the midst of high inflation.”
Addressing NGOs he enjoined them to support the government to craft key performances in those areas.
“Help the government to do things better, provide quality support to civil servants, and public servants in the process of doing their work.
“We also look forward to seeing you do a lot of advocacy and awareness because the people need to be sufficiently utilised,” the minister said.
On her part, a former acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Sarah Alade, urged the federal government to collaborate with the non-state actors to achieve economic development and ensure the success of its social investment programmes.
At the forum entitled, “The Role of Non-state Actors in National Development: A case study of LAPO, Alade said the involvement of non-state actors like LAPO in the federal government projects was necessary.
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