The Delta State Government has commenced a stakeholders’ forum for the State Medium Term Development Plan III (DSMTDP) for 2024-2027. Speaking at the programme, yesterday, in Asaba, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr. Sonny Ekedayen, said that the consultative forum was a crucial step toward developing the plan.
”The purpose of this meeting is to create awareness on the ongoing medium term development plan III and its significance and elicit feedback from stakeholders.
”This will ensure the legitimate and successful implementation of the plan. ”As some of you may be aware, this exercise formally commenced in July, with various meetings and workshops.
”The draft document we have today is a result of those meetings, with inputs from ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the private sector and other stakeholders,” he said.
Giving an overview of the plan, he said: “As a country’s constitution is the mother of all laws, so is a development plan the mother of all public policies for a country or sub-national entity. ”In essence the development plan is the fundamental public policy blueprint and overarching framework from which other sectors and subsector policies and programmes are derived. ”Therefore, the Delta Medium Term Development Plan 2024-2027 is the successor to the Delta Medium Term Plan 2020-2023, which itself followed Delta Medium Term Development Plan 2016-2019.
”By this third in the uninterrupted sequence of development plans, the state government is upholding the culture of development planning as the cornerstone of public policy flagship for fostering and catalysing the socio-economic well-being of the people of Delta.” According to him, the plan captures the tenets of the ‘MORE Agenda’ of Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori.
The commissioner stated that the draft plan, made up of 31 chapters, had developmental goals, including accelerating broad-based diversification, inclusive growth and sustained productivity and development of the state’s economy. Ekedayen also said that the plan would enhance job and wealth creation that would help to tackle youth unemployment as well as create and maintain a better business and investment environment to improve the competitiveness and growth of the private sector. ”The plan will also enhance shared prosperity, social protection and equitable opportunities for communities, including individuals, households and groups, ” he added.
Ekadayen said the policies, programmes, schemes, projects and initiatives embedded in the plan were expected to collectively grow the state’s economy at an annual average rate of 6.77 per cent from the estimated 2023 Current Market Price Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N5. 292 trillion to N6.877 trillion in 2027.
“The growth performance will bring about significant improvements to living standards and reductions of poverty and vulnerability in the state,” he said.
The Consultant of DSMTDP, Prof. Eric Eboh, in his presentation, described the document as an instrument aimed at actualising the ‘MORE Agenda’ of the state government.
Eboh also said that the draft document would be rectified after inputs by the stakeholders before transmitting it to the state executive council. (NAN)
