Nigeria needs economists in various teams ― NES

Nigeria Economic Society (NES) has asked the Federal Government to saturate its various technical teams with economists to promote economic growth and development.

President of NES, Prof Sarah Olanrewaju Anyanwu, who stated this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Thursday, also denied a media report on Wednesday, which quoted the society as describing Nigeria’s economy as unstable and directionless under Buhari.

According to Anyanwu, putting enough economists in the technical teams would prevent the country from going into recession.

“My presentation during the courtesy visit to the Senate Minority Leader, Distinguished Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was very clear and her oral addition did not include what the Punch Newspaper published.

“I said categorically that we need more Economists in various Teams to promote economic growth and development to avoid Nigeria going into recession”, adding that the current recession is global because of COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

“I further stated that the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) is a Medium-Term Plan for 2017 – 2020. The ERGP that was put in place will expire by December 2020 and that NES is represented in the Central Working Group of the ongoing Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP).

“However, NES as a Professional Body is not represented in the Presidential Economic Advisory Council as was the case with the Former National Economic Management Team (NEMT).”

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She said this became imperative as this would engender wider consultations with the professionals for inputs on economic policy formulations since all hands must be on deck to avert the economy going into recession.

In addition, the media reported that “the NES solicited the assistance of the Senate Minority Leader in expediting the passage of NES bill already submitted to the NASS earlier this year.”

She denied granting an interview to any newspaper and was thus at a “total loss as to the source of the erroneous information attributed to me and my Team in various Newspapers.”

She explained further that the team she led on a visit to Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe was to solicit his assistance to consider and pass the NES Bill when it was finally submitted to the national assembly.

The Society holds in high esteem the strong partnership between it and the government and looks forward to a better, stronger, and closer continuous working partnership.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE