The Federal Government has released over 50 percent capital vote to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Speaking at the 15th meeting of the Joint Planning Board and National Council on Development in Kano, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo said the administration placed high priority on infrastructural development.
Osinbajo reiterated that, for the nation to achieve the needed structural development and sustainable development, efforts must be directed towards national structural planning.
The Vice President maintained that strategic planning generally provides direction, coherence and coordination and is a veritable framework for guiding the activities of all stakeholders towards achieving a common goal.
According to him, strategic planning for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires effective and efficient partnership as provided in goal 17, which emphasised the need for partnering with states to get the needed economic development.
The short-term strategic implementation plan, he said, was done to guide the implementation of the 2016 budget. He also stated that government accorded priority to agriculture for self-sufficiency and food security.
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Meanwhile, due to fresh outbreak of poliomyelitis in the country, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, yesterday said Nigeria was seeking a $125million loan from the World Bank for provision of enough vaccines against the epidemic and other communicable diseases.
Also, government has released the N9.8 billion vote for that purpose in the 2016 budget.
The minister disclosed this before the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable diseases, stressing that the loan facility became essential because of the high cost of polio vaccines.
He explained that $60million out of the $125million loan facility would be used for vaccination against polio alone in six rounds while the remaining $65million would be used for preventive vaccination against outbreak of any other communicable diseases.
He explained that comprehensive curtailment plan against polio had been put in place by the Ministry out of which 800, 000, children under the age of five in five local government of Borno State, have been immunized against the virus.
The committee chairman, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (PDP Abia North), assured the minister and other health agencies of the Senate’s support in the discharge of their duties.
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