FG To Integrate States In ERGP Labs Process

The Minister of Budget and National Planning Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, says states will be integral part of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) laboratory process to enhance its implementation.
Udoma said this in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Akpandem James yesterday in Abuja.
Udoma spoke at a workshop organised by the ministry as part of the integration process to ensure full participation of sub-regional governments in the focus labs scheduled to commence in March.
The minister said that the workshop was designed for representatives of state governments to explain the essence of the labs set up as part of government’s effort to ensure full and effective implementation of the ERGP.
He explained that the meeting was to explore how best state governments could be fully integrated into the lab process as the full participation of state governments in the labs was necessary to ensure its success.
According to him, the focus labs are basically the bringing together of all relevant players, investors, both domestic and international, subject matter specialists, and government officials at both Federal and State level.
He said that the labs would bring participants and stakeholders to mobilise high impact investments for large projects that would contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and job-creation.
“The focus labs, therefore, are fora for private sector investors to bring forward their entry-point project or projects they would like to invest in, and discuss with senior government officials in a closed setting.
“The labs will be starting with key areas of Agriculture and Transport, Manufacturing and Processing, and Power and Gas.
“These will reflect some of the execution priorities of the ERGP, but will continue subsequently in other areas such as entertainment, services, sports and the media.’’
The minister said the ERGP was designed to address the country’s economic challenges and to put the economy on the part of growth and sustainable development.