Takeaways from President Buhari's national broadcast on the occasion of Democracy Day, June 12th, 2020

- Nigeria has risen 12 spots on the World Bank's ease of doing business index due to the Visa on arrival policy amongst others.

- 48% of work completed on the 2nd Niger Bridge.

- The government remains committed to free and quality basic education for the first 9 schooling years of every Nigerian child.

- President Buahri is considering the reduction and merging of government MDAs due to the fluctuations in oil price.

- Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria's foreign reserve has increased from $33.4Bn on April 28 2020 to about $36Bn in May 2020.

- The government is working on a deal with German company Siemens to transport and distribute 11,000 megawatts by 2023 together with five other transmission and expansion projects across the country to be executed.

- The government is not relaxing on its fight against terrorism, banditry and other security challenges as the military has taken the fight to insurgents in the North East.

- Government is determined to turn this COVID-19 challenge into a motivation to action by building a nation-wide public health care system that will help overcome the pandemic and prepare for any future outbreak.

- President Buhari stated that "Agriculture remains the key to our economic diversification strategy".

- Government is also revamping the cotton, textile and garment sector via a CBN Textile Revival Intervention Fund that would considerably reduce foreign exchange spent on cotton and other textile imports.

- As part of the strategy to create jobs in reducing the effect of COVID-19 on our youths, 774, 000 Nigerians will be employed. These youths will be engaged in Special Public Works Programmes aimed at cushioning the effects of economic downturn. Each of the 774 local government areas in the country will be allotted 1,000 slots.

- The Social Investment Program has empowered, 549,500 N-Power beneficiaries, 408,682 beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme and 2,238,334 beneficiaries of the Growth Enhancement and Empowerment Programme. 

- Anti-Corruption Agencies have secured more than 1,400 convictions and also recovered funds in excess of N800 billion. These monies are being ploughed into development and infrastructure projects.