President Bola Tinubu, in his closing remarks at a three-day cabinet retreat, implored his ministers to set aside personal ambitions and concentrate on the administration’s mission to uplift 50 million Nigerians out of poverty. The retreat was attended by ministers, presidential aides, Permanent Secretaries, and high-ranking government officials, held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
Tinubu emphasized that the collective duty is to alter the narrative about Nigeria and stressed the importance of engaging in constructive dialogues to address discrepancies.
“The renewed hope agenda is more than economic growth. We have a responsibility to our country to change completely the narrative about Nigeria. Poverty is not a shameful thing, but it is not acceptable,” he stated.
Tinubu called for enhanced cooperation between ministers and permanent secretaries to address national challenges. He encouraged participants to work together to ensure that Nigeria overcomes its challenges.
“The responsibilities we bear are not just titles; they are the hopes and aspirations of millions of Nigerians. Let’s bond together and ensure our country fully recovers,” Tinubu emphasized.
During the retreat, the President underlined several focus areas, including reforming the economy, enhancing national security, boosting agriculture, unlocking energy and natural resources, improving infrastructure and transportation, focusing on education, health, and social investment, and diversifying the economy through industrialization and technology.
Furthermore, Tinubu urged participants to commit to working as a team for the benefit of Nigerians, with the attendees standing and affirming their dedication to the country.
The retreat also included discussions about key performance indicators and a presidential delivery tracker to monitor deliverables. Recommendations included early submission of memos to the cabinet office, Permanent Secretaries accompanying their Ministers at Federal Executive Council meetings, restoration of the FCT master plan, reduction of port operators, and the promotion of solid minerals development for new revenue sources.
The retreat highlighted the importance of prioritizing artificial intelligence, training for technical support personnel, and the development of performance bonds for civil servants to reward good behavior and penalize deviant behavior.
The retreat ended with a symbolic signing of a performance bond by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, and the signing of performance bonds by other ministers.