By Emmanuel Elebeke

Stakeholders yesterday gathered in Abuja to validate the draft policy thrusts and identify priority programmes for the successor plan, 2016-2020 Medium Term Successor Strategic Plan.

The Secretary, National Planning Commission, Mr. Bassey Ekpeyung while addressing the participants stated that the stakeholders meeting was significant in that the identified priority programmes aligned to the policy thrust of the 2016-2020 plan.

The NPC scribe stated that the plan is consistent with the zero based budgeting system to be adopted by the Federal Government with effect from 2016.

He said that the relevance of having a clearly defined policy thrust for the medium term plan cannot be over emphasized.

According to him, the policy thrusts are expected to provide the scope and keep the plans focused, while ensuring that resources are effectively deployed to strategic results areas.

While emphasizing the importance of the plans, Ekpeyung stressed the need for both the Permanent Secretary and MDAs to align their respective programmes and projects to the overall objective of the strategic plans and annual budgets during the period.

Meanwhile, the policy thrusts are categorized into six main pillars, broad policy objectives, identified along with key performance indicators, targets and programmes.

The proposed policy objectives for the plan include among others: macroeconomic stability and efficient resource management; real sector development; achieving holistic and sustainable reform in education sector; international co-operation and state.

other objectives are: achieving quality and affordable healthcare; infrastructure development; sustainable environment and land use; security sector governance; rule of law and improving efficiency in the public service; strengthening global partnership and regional development.

Under the plan, the MDAs are expected to provide well costed programmes and projects for enhanced delivery of the plan.

According to the organizers of the programme, there will be need to justify the programmes and projects and the associated cost based on the KPIs.

‘‘ A comprehensive project selection criteria would be adopted for admitting projects into the plan,’’ said the NPC scribe.