LAGOS, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday said his administration would focus its efforts to turn around the economy, create jobs, fight corruption, and transform agriculture to replace oil and gas as a major revenue earner for the nation in 2017.
The president, who gave the assurance in his New Year message to citizens, said he was encouraged that his government is getting things right.
The Nigerian leader said agricultural revolution has begun and farmers in different parts of the country are experiencing bumper harvests while states are getting into strategic partnership towards attaining self-sufficiency in rice.
The era of over-dependence on oil for foreign exchange revenues was gradually waning, he added, noting that the change Nigerians yearned for in voting his administration to power in 2015 will manifest more and be sustained in different sectors, particularly agriculture, in 2017.
According to him, the nation's economic recovery and growth plan in 2017 was anchored on optimizing the use of local content and empowering local businesses.
"In pursuit of this administration's philosophy, we will continue to appeal that we buy Made In Nigeria goods," he added.
"Like I said during the 2017 Budget presentation to the National Assembly, farmers, small and medium-sized manufacturers, agro-allied businesses, dressmakers, entertainers and technology start-ups, will remain the true drivers of our economic future," he said.
"They are the engine of our economic recovery and their needs underpin our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan," the Nigerian leader said.
On job creation, the Nigerian leader said his administration would sustain existing programs aimed at lifting a vast number of the youth out of poverty, while at the same time creating the opportunities for people to fend for themselves.
Buhari said his administration's determination to wrestle corruption to the ground remains unshaken.
He announced that his government would probe the shenanigans reported in connection with the Internally Displaced Persons funds and punish culprits to underscore that he is unrelenting in waging the war
The president said the fight against corruption would be guided by respect for the rule of law and due process.
He vowed that his administration would not spare anybody or organ of government in the ongoing crusade against corrupt practices.
He called for unity among Nigerians as he believes the pains being experienced are temporary. He expressed hope that the challenges would ease when the economic seeds in gestation begin to bloom to fruition.
