Development Planning in Nigeria: Reflections on the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) 2003-2007

ABSTRACT 

Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999 with the enthusiasm

to chat new political and socio-economic dispensation. The introduction of

National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) as a medium term

planning strategy was a blueprint for new order. It contains all the envisaged

policies and programmes of the federal government for the period 2003-2007 and

far beyond, and serves as the fountain of the much-touted Obasanjo’s reforms.

NEEDS is not only a macro-economic plan document, but also a comprehensive

vision, goals and principles of a new Nigeria that would be made possible

through four key policies of wealth creation, employment generation, poverty

eradication and value reorientation. This paper is a reflection on NEEDS. Using

historical and content analysis methods, the paper explores common indices of

development planning in the country. It reveals that NEEDS is not different

from previous development plans in Nigeria, despite the claims to the contrary.

While claiming to be a home-grown plan, it is very much in line with the wishes

of the international agents of developed capitalist economies; there is lack of

commitment of the leadership in pursing plan objectives; corruption is still

rife and priority in selecting plan projects is still poor. The paper

recommends among others, the need for committed leadership, continuity with

NEEDS II document, drawing adequate scale of preference in choosing policies

and programmes, and determined efforts to break from the crutches of neo imperialist

and neo colonial tendencies of the developed countries.