Hardship: ‘Learn to make sacrifices for Nigeria’s growth,’ Minister tells Nigerians

Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu has urged Nigerians to make sacrifices for the country to attain its desired height amongst the comity of nations. 

Bagudu spoke on Monday when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on appropriations to defend President Bola Tinubu’s request to increase the 2024 budget by N6.2 trillion.

The minister said countries that have achieved significant growth have made sacrifices over the years.

Bagudu asked Nigerians not to compare the country with nations that have attained notable development if they are not willing to make similar sacrifices.

“We have to recognise that countries that achieved development took choices that maybe we should have taken. That is my point,” the minister said.

“We have a leader (Tinubu) who is not even saying, Let us blame this or blame that. We are not where we want to be.

“How do we mobilise all together? Our children need to appreciate this fact. It is not a pleasant conversation when any father calls the children and says, Look, I am not as rich as you think I am. Let’s face it.

“But that conversation will build a better family than a situation where children feel self-entitled—they just blame the father, not knowing that even though he is the authority figure, he has his own limitations. So, even in a country, it is no different.

“The simple truth is that we have to make sacrifices in order for our country to achieve the growth that it requires.

“Those countries whom we are teaching our children that they have achieved this and that; we should stop comparing ourselves to where they (the countries) are today. But what choices did they make in the past to bring them to where they are?”

Providing a breakdown of the N6.3 trillion, Bagudu said the N3.2 trillion proposed for infrastructure projects will cover several road and rail projects.

The minister said the funds will form counterpart funding for rail projects that have been stalled over the years, including the one linking Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, traversing the Rivers  Imo, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kaduna, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and terminating in Borno state.

He said N522 billion will also be utilised for agricultural projects such as water, irrigation, and dams.

Bagudu said the proposed N3.2 trillion “renewed hope infrastructural fund” is “intended to provide equity contributions or counterpart contributions of the federal government projects designated as priority projects as well as critical projects that needed more appropriation so that they would not suffer neglect”.

The minister added that the N3 trillion is intended to meet recurrent expenditures, including the new national minimum wage approved by Tinubu.