The 2024 budget proposed by President Bola Tinubu does not inspire hope when the projected GDP growth rate is compared to the population growth rate, according to business advisory consultant Wole Ogundare, who dubbed the appropriation “budget of coasting along.” Ogundare also claims that the budget will not solve the majority of the current economic issues facing Nigeria.
Speaking on Saturday’s Sunrise show on Channels Television, Ogundare stated that “When you look at the assumptions, the first thing I typically look at is the growth rate. So the macroeconomic framework tend to force you to look at the growth rate. The President projected a 3.76 growth rate; if you look at that growth rate, how does it really make sense?
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“You compare it to the population growth rate in Nigeria. Our population growth rate today is about 2.5, so if you look at 2.5 population growth rate relative to a 3.76 GDP growth, it tells you immediately that this is not a budget of hope, it is a budget of coasting along. Let us just coast along for now.
“Any budget of hope will be something where the growth rate is about 7 to 10 per cent. So, I guess the guys in charge are being very careful not to overestimate their position, which is why they say, ’look, let us just coast along’. So anything around hope, forget it; Nigerians should just forget it for now because there is nothing hopeful around it.”
“This is not the budget for me that will reduce the japa syndrome; it is not the budget that will also create some huge industrialisation or human capital, massive development, or a budget that can encourage employment—none of those things. This is just let’s coast along for now and all the indicators seem to speak to this,” Ogundare added.
