*Advises Tinubu, Shettima to lead with wisdom, courage, compassion
“I have run a good race, I have finished my course. It is now time for another to take up the baton,’’ says President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja, after the investiture of President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, GCON.
The investiture of the President-elect and Vice President-elect sets the pace for their swearing into office on Monday, May 29th, 2023, drawing a curtain on the eight-year administration of President Buhari, who served two terms, 2015-2023.
The President congratulated both political leaders, who had served as Governor of Lagos and Borno States, respectively.
“I extend my warmest congratulations to the President-elect, on his well-deserved victory at the February 25th, 2023 Presidential elections. The Nigerian people have recognized your leadership qualities, political acumen, and passion to serve our great nation, and have entrusted you with the burden of governing our beloved country.
“I have no doubt that Nigeria will continue to thrive and achieve new heights under your leadership. You were the best candidate at the elections and Nigerians have chosen wisely.
“I equally extend my congratulations to the Vice President-elect. Your wealth of experience in governance, your unwavering commitment to the well-being of the Nigerian people, and your exemplary leadership during challenging times as Governor of Borno State, have made you a deserving candidate for this position. I have full confidence that you will serve our nation with utmost dedication and integrity.
“In accordance with the Honours Award Act, 1963, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, (LFN), 2004, Presidents/Heads of State receive the Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) while the Vice Presidents are awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).
“Today, with the authority vested in me, as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I have conferred the National Honour of GCFR on His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu and that of the GCON on His Excellency Kashim Shettima respectively.
“As we celebrate this auspicious occasion, let us not forget the immense responsibilities that come with leadership. The challenges facing our nation are significant, and it is the duty of the President and Vice President to address them with courage, wisdom, and compassion.
“We must remain committed to the principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability, as these are the foundations upon which our nation’s progress and development rely,’’ he added.
President Buhari noted that Asiwaju had the experience and capacity to lead the country, carrying on the legacy of his administration.
“President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have a long and illustrious track record of public service, marked by your exceptional achievements in various capacities. Your transformative leadership in Lagos State, where you left an indelible mark in the areas of infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic development, speaks volumes about your dedication to the welfare of the Nigerian people.
President Buhari expressed his deepest gratitude to Nigerians for their unwavering support and trust throughout his tenure, adding “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve this great nation, and I am confident that Nigeria is in capable hands as we embark on this new chapter.’’
While examining some of the challenges before incoming administration, President Buhari advised Asiwaju Tinubu to lead the country with wisdom, courage, and compassion.
“Once again, I congratulate President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima on their well-deserved investiture. May the Almighty bless you and guide you in your endeavors to lead Nigeria towards a brighter and more prosperous future,’’ he stated.
President Buhari said the administration was faced with many challenges at inception and worked hard to tackle hydra-headed issues.
“This administration from inception has faced security challenges such as insurgency, oil theft, kidnapping as well as corruption which has eaten deep into the system.
“With the political will and support of many Nigerians, especially our dogged Armed Forces, insurgency, terrorism, and kidnapping have been reduced to their barest minimum while corruption has been tackled headlong.
“Despite the aforementioned challenges, our administration has made economic gains over the years. While acknowledging the turbulent times and global economic meltdown occasioned by the world oil crisis and most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, our economy has remained afloat and strong.
“Our administration’s commitment and determination in infrastructural upliftment of Nigeria have remained unshaken,’’ he added.
As part of his achievements, President Buhari noted that Second Niger Bridge, named President Muhammadu Buhari, had been completed and commissioned.
“I am happy to say that no administration in Nigeria’s modern history has given so much attention to roads as we have done in the last eight years. In all, we have been able to construct and complete over 8,352.94 kilometers of roads across Nigeria.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in spite of the shortfall in the federal government’s revenue, due to the weakness in the global economy that led to a drop in oil revenue, we have touched on all sectors of the Nigerian economy positively.
“As we celebrate the monumental infrastructural strides achieved by this Administration, it is pertinent to acknowledge that these transformative endeavors have not only reshaped our physical landscape but have also paved the way for remarkable economic outcomes that reverberate across our nation.
“The link between infrastructure and economic prosperity is undeniable. It is through the construction of roads, railways, bridges, and other critical assets that we unlock the true potential of our nation, leading to better communication, facilitating trade, and propelling economic growth,’’ he said.
“To avoid a repeat of our 2015 experience,’’ the President said an Executive Order No. 14 of 2023, had been signed, establishing the legal framework for conducting presidential transitions at the federal level.
He said the Executive Order establishes the Presidential Transition Council chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Ministerial Transition Teams headed by the Permanent Secretaries.
President Buhari explained that the primary responsibility of the two ad-hoc bodies was to ensure that every piece of information that will help a new administration get off to a speedy start was made available in a usable format and in a timely manner.
“Today, I am so proud to have handed over to you my Successor, Your Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu three key documents that will guide you as you aim to define a path for your administration.
“It is my earnest desire that you will find these documents useful as this would be the first time in the history of this country that such detailed documentation will be produced for handover to a new administration. I strongly encourage you to uphold this legacy and make the experience even better for your successor by the time you are to leave office.
“It may also interest you to know that apart from these three documents, all the Ministries and their Agencies have also prepared their Handover Notes, ready to brief their new political leadership. I want to sincerely thank the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his team for this great feat,’’ he further stated.
On the transfer of a symbolic baton to Asiwaju Tinubu, President Buhari said that the incoming government would continue with the race of advancing democracy and development.
“This is a first in the history of our Nation’s transition process. To preserve this remarkable history for generations to come, I have directed that the Baton be preserved in the Presidential history wing of the National Archives and I hope that President-elect Tinubu and those after him will build on this tradition,’’ he added.
In his remark, the President-elect thanked President Buhari for the transition committee that was ensuring a smooth handing-over process, with documents that cover and capture the performance of the outgoing administration.
“I also feel a sense of pride that this moment is our moment,’’ he said.
Asiwaju Tinubu extolled President Buhari for his democratic credentials, making history on the assumption of office by recognizing late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Ambassador Babagana Kingibe as winners of the 1993 presidential elections and honouring them with GCFR, and GCON, respectively.
“You went back into history to set the record straight,’’ he added.
Asiwaju Tinubu congratulated the President for providing strong and visionary leadership for eight years, assuring that he will not disappoint on the assumption of office on Monday.
“I understand the honour given to me and the magnitude of the task that awaits us,’’ he noted.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, reeled out the achievements of the administration in eight years and explained the three documents that were handed over, and the historic baton.
Femi Adesina
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
May 25, 2023
The ECA’s Country Business Index – a tool to enhance private sector’s role in AfCFTA implementation
Addis Ababa, 24 May 2023, (ECA) – Africa should accelerate the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area while creating a conducive business environment to attract private sector participation in one of the largest free trade areas in the world, experts have urged.
The AfCFTA is a free trade area launched in 2019 by African countries to create a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$ 3.4 trillion. Despite its premise of boosting trade in Africa, here is mixed perception of its benefits within the private sector across the continent, according to an Index launched by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
To better understand how African businesses are approaching the AfCFTA and how it can best support the private sector through trade, ECA developed the AfCFTA Country Business Index (ACBI) with the financial support of the European Union (EU). The Index enables relevant policymakers to identify bottlenecks in intra-African trade at a country level, which informs the barriers impeding effective AfCFTA implementation from the perspective of the private sector.
Recently, the ECA held an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) to present the methodology and findings of the Index to inform the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Opening the meeting, ECA Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, Ms. Hanan Morsy said, “The ACBI is the first comprehensive tool based on robust methodological framework for data collection and analysis through which businesses can voice their views on the implementation of the AfCFTA. The ACBI findings make a significant contribution to Africa’s development Agenda by identifying bottlenecks in trade regimes that need to be addressed to ensure a more inclusive trade under the AfCFTA,”
Addressing the same meeting, Head of Policy and Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to the African Union, Mr. Thomas Huyghebaer, highlighted that the development and rollout of the ACBI in 13 countries was a component of the successful EU-ECA ‘Deepening Africa trade integration toward the effective implementation of the AfCFTA’ project.
Senior Policy Officer, Integration and Trade, African Union Commission Mr. Manasseh Ntaganda, emphasized that the ACBI work will complement the AU activities under the 2023 theme to ‘accelerate the AfCFTA implementation moving forward African Integration Agenda’. He highlighted the importance of a favourable environment for the private sector to drive inclusive and sustainable development in Africa. One avenue was to scale up the work of the ACBI to all African countries in order to get an accurate picture of the private sector’s take on trading under the AfCFTA.
African Trade Policy Center Director, Melaku Desta, emphasized that the success of the AfCFTA depends on its implementation and the participation of the private sector, which needs to understand, own, and drive it and aim to take advantage of the opportunities the Agreement offers.” Through the ACBI, we are contributing to make sure that business communities are in the driving seat in the implementation of AfCFTA,” he added.
For her part, Ms. Olajobi Makinwa, Chief, Intergovernmental Relations & Africa, UN Global Compact, said the full implementation of the AfCFTA will foster economic and social development in Africa.
Research by the ECA shows that industry and services, mainly transport and tourism are expected to make the most gains from the AfCFTA.
The ACBI offers useful insights on how African businesses are perceiving trade and doing business under the AfCFTA. The ACBI reports showed results from Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.
The tool aggregates the opinions of businesses in Africa and articulates them in an Index that ranks countries by how well they are implementing the AfCFTA from a business’ perspective. The research methodology for the Index focused on three key dimensions: goods restrictiveness and use; African Free Trade Agreements; knowledge and use of the commercial environment.
Noting that the ACBI provides a unique and powerful monitoring and evaluation tool for African member states to gauge and understand the private sector’s take of the new AfCFTA environment, Wafa Aidi, an economist at ECA, said the Index can significantly contribute to Africa’s trade and inclusive development by identifying bottlenecks in trade regimes.
“If scaled at the regional level, the ACBI can help enhance the participation of the private sector in the AfCFTA. Notable, based on ECA simulations, the share of intra-African trade can be boosted up to 25% by 2045 by ensuring the active participation of the private sector”, she added.
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