An economic agenda for Buhari by Bola Tinubu

I would choose to remove the subsidies and use the money to help people – let us feed our school children, with our local produce promote agriculture, create jobs and start erecting a social safety net for the vulnerable among us in true need. I am one of those enjoying or benefitting from the cheap pump price per litre, but I don’t need it. I rather pay for the availability and let the needy benefit more from higher pump prices.

Let us begin a process of a thoughtful but decisive subsidy phase-out. While this is occurring, we should simultaneously phase in social programs benefiting the poorest, most vulnerable among us.

Programs such as transportation subsidies, school feeding, improved basic medical care and coverage for the poor, and potable water projects are some of the things that can be done with the funds.

This way we can undertake expenditures confident that the fruits will go to the hungry, not the already well fed. End the fuel subsidy. Subsidize the people instead – Subsidize the people indeed!

Bala Usman would have wanted us to do this and do it now. Bold endeavour. We must do what we must to build railways and roads and bring light to those who have languished without it in darkness.

Put tax incentives in place to spur new refineries. End the queues at the fuel pump. The tax we would forfeit is but reshaped to become an investment in a better Nigeria.

On the continental level, Africa has reached the point where it can no longer allow extant trade outside the region to preclude the need to expand and deepen trade and investment among ourselves.

We must collaborate so that we no longer just sell what we extract from the precious soil.

But that we deploy our ingenuity to shape and process these things into manufactured goods.

With his enviable international stature and the respect he commands, President Buhari is one to lead this Pan Africanist cause. Africa must use it God given resources to greater opportunities among the countries of the continent. We achieve this by creativity, collaboration and determination to help our own people