ASSESSMENT OF NEEDS AND VISION 20:2020 AS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICIES/PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA: ISSUES, CHANLLENGES AND WORKABLE ALTERNATIVES

Abstract

Abstract Nigeria has embarked on several growth and development policies/programmes since independence. These growth and development policies have failed to achieve their various core mandates. The evidence of their failures manifests in the increasing rate of poverty, massive rate of unemployment, infant, child, and maternal mortality as well as dilapidated infrastructure among others. This paper assessed Nigerian growth and development policies thus far, focusing on NEEDS and Vision 20:2020. These were accomplished via the utilization of secondary sources of data from journals – national and international, textbooks, government official gazettes, and so on. The paper is strictly evaluation research analyzed from the platform of mixed development model. The study found that the lack of effective and efficient implementation of these policies coupled with corruption and Western influences among other factors greatly militated against their successes. It is the conclusion of this paper that growth and development strategies are not a parlour game or just podium talk, but need to be backed up with action and clear-cut achievable objectives. It, therefore, recommends the formulation of clear and purposeful policies, implemented with strong patriotism and effective focus, back-up with political will free of corruption and Western interference as a pathway to ameliorating our growth and development challenges.