
According to him:”A possible consolation remains that this loan is not programmed to fund consumption, but likely to improve our productivity”. This, he stressed, would however depend on the facility’s “strategic allocation, the governance of project execution and monitoring and management of its foreseen impact on subsisting government inflows and financial commitments”.
The MAN DG believed that the rejection of the proposed loan request by the Senate was because the President didn’t provide the required details, which included actalisation of projects in the power, agriculture, transport and mining sectors of the Nigerian economy. He insisted that the loan would be beneficial to the country if the right things are done.
According to him: “On the face of it and in my opinion, the 39 emergency projects in the Power, Agriculture, Transport & Mining sectors of the Nigerian economy alluded to by Mr. President should redress some of our infrastructure and sectoral performance/linkage deficits. To this extent, the projects are needful and their successful completion would boost the productive capacity of the Nigerian economy”.
Nonetheless, the MAN DG also have some reservations. In his word: “However, the rising debt profile of Nigeria continues to be a cause for concern, especially the capacity of Government to effectively service it and,at the same time, meet the bursting needs and aspiration of the citizenry going forward. Already, our budget projections for 2020 anticipates a debt service sum of ₦2.45trillion, an amount higher than the ₦2.14 trillion earmarked for capital expenditure”.