There are certain unique features of this strategy especially when compared with previous strategies. First and foremost, the strategy is less neo-liberal than its predecessor the Nigerian Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). The Nigeria Vision 20:2020 strategy acknowledges that attention will be given to equity concerns about privatisation, the need to safeguard workers interests and to ensure that the process does not aggravate the already precarious unemployment problem in the country. (p.25).Secondly; the strategy advocates integrated sectorial planning to enhance linkage and synergy. This will ensure that agriculture, oil and gas and mineral and metal sectors serve as sources of inputs into the nation’s local manufacturing industry. Thirdly, the vision advocates a cluster based approach to industrialisation which will turn the six geopolitical zones into economically viable industrial clusters built around different sectors based on the economic geography of the different zones. Fourthly, the strategy will introduce performance management and accountability system for public service institutions. Finally, the strategy plans to institutionalise monitoring and evaluation across all levels of government to improve their capacity to translate all strategic plans and programmes into outcomes and impacts. However, despite the positive aspects of the vision, there are serious defects that could make the attainment of the goal of the vision impossible. First and foremost, the strategy glosses over or underestimates the political conditions or dimensions of the vision. While there are clear social, economic, institutional and environmental dimensions, there is a clear absence of political dimension or how to create the political conditions for the vision to be actualised. Meanwhile, some scholars have argued that political conditions in Africa are the greatest impediment to development. Secondly, there are inconsistencies in the vision document in terms of what is possible and what the vision hopes to achieve. While the vision articulates the need for evidence based decision making in the policy space, the vision is anchored on unrealistic assumptions. Achievement of the goal of the vision is anchored on achieving broad based and double digit real growth rate annually. (p.14). Meanwhile, the policy itself acknowledges that the IMF predicts that Nigeria’s average economic growth rate will slow to 4.8 % between 2009 and 2014. (p.15). There is no alternative prediction by the vision. Thirdly, although efforts were made to involve different sectors in the formulation of the blueprint, the level of participation is not widespread and deep. It was more or less restricted to experts. The development of any country requires public ownership of the process of development of the strategy which cannot be said for the blueprint. In addition, the strategy does not take into account some proven strategies that can help bring out people from poverty such as social protection measures and provision of housing and other social services for the poor. Indeed, the strategy states clearly that providing new housing stock is not the only way to meet the demand for affordable housing. (p.29).Furthermore, one of the greatest obstacles to development in Nigeria is corruption. What needs to be done to bring about economic growth and development in known but corruptible transactions makes it impossible for objectives of policies and strategies to be realised. Although the vision recognises that economic growth and poverty reduction cannot be achieved in an environment of corruption and pervasive rent seeking(p.14), there is no anti-corruption strategy either in the vision or in the country that is systematic, comprehensive, consistent, focused, publicized, non-selective and non-partisan. Finally and perhaps most importantly, it has been documented that implementation is the graveyard of public policies in Nigeria. Although the strategy outlined what will be done differently, there is no concrete strategy on how the challenges of implementation of previous strategies will be overcome
VISION 20:2020 1ST. NIP PROJECTION FOR ‘2010-2013