by
President Olusegun Obasanjo
January 5, 2005
Dear Compatriots,
I greet and felicitate with you all on this happy and auspicious occasion of the ending of one year and the commencement of another.
As we celebrate the coming of another year, let us all give thanks to the Almighty Creator and Giver of Life for bringing us and our beloved country, Nigeria safety through the vagaries of the past year, and pray also that God, in His infinite mercies, will continue to guide us along the path to national rebirth, renaissance and prosperity.
One of the global traditions of the New Year celebrations is the making of positive resolutions for our conduct and guidance in the coming year. Many of you, fellow countrymen and women will undoubtedly engage in this commendable ritual at this time and I urge you all to make greater support and contribution to the successful implementation of our national reform agenda one of your key resolutions for 2005.
There can be no doubt that if we are to survive and prosper as a nation, we have no choice but to continue the reformation of our national institutions and our way of life. We must have a reorientation.
Our Administration has been giving required leadership in this regard since May 29, 1999 and we shall continue to do so for the rest of our tenure.
The main focus and vision of our national reform agenda will continue to be the promotion and reinvigoration of production in all spheres of our national economy and the pursuit of what is excellent, noble and enduring.
For us, growth and development must mean production and productivity in all aspects of our national and individual life.
With our ever increasing population, the pressures on our limited national resources will continue to escalate and the only way of ensuring our economic survival, stability and progress is to raise production in the various sectors of our economy, especially agriculture and manufacturing and to ensure effective service delivery in all spheres of our national life.
Our survival and growth depend on how passionate and successful we are in putting aside an economy dominated by mere consumption, trading and commissioned agency, and embracing the massive production of real goods and services for domestic use and for export.
In this regard, we appreciate and commend Nigerians and foreigners, who, out of confidence and belief in Nigeria, are investing in our economy. We will continue to provide the conducive environment and infrastructure to encourage such investment.
Raising national productivity and the single-minded pursuit of our goal of a better life for all Nigerians will therefore remain the primary focus of our Administration in 2005.
We will be dogged and tenacious, we will remain focused, we will not be derailed, otherwise, we will not be able to enjoy the fruits of the sacrifices so far made. But at the same time, we will be attentive, responsive and compassionate.
We shall, in the coming year carry forward the work begun in 2004 on our National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) with a view to reforming key sectors of our economy and putting it firmly on the path to sustainable development and growth that will lead to the creation of wealth and the reduction of poverty, the process of which has already begun with discernible results.
Let me appeal to all Nigerians to make a resolution to pay attention to farming – all aspects of farming: poultry, vegetables, tubers, grains, large animals, tree crops, flowers, fruits and aquaculture. Processing and semi-processing of these will develop our small and medium scale enterprises.
Building Physical and Human Infrastructure for Job Creation and Poverty Alleviation is the main theme of our 2005 national budget. I urge members of the National Assembly to expedite action on its passage so that work can expeditiously commence on new investment principally in roads, power supply, water supply, agriculture, education, health and national security.
With greater honesty, prudence and dedication to duty by the leadership at all levels of all governments, the available resources should be used to provide concrete benefits for Nigerians in all parts of the country.
The New Year will see us consolidating on our recent gains in the socio-economic arena and breaking new grounds in the area of much needed national political reform.
The Committee to produce a background paper on Political Reform Agenda which I established towards the end of last year has already submitted its report.
The follow-up action on its paper will be announced very early in the New Year. Political reform is the other side of the coin in our reform package to complement the socio-economic reform.
For those who have decided to see nothing good in their country, may God open their eyes, and for those of us who see hope and are positive and constructive about our country, may our hopes be fulfilled and may our vision remain clear.
May we all have a happy and prosperous New Year.
May God continue to bless Nigeria.