Nigeria Elections Debate Group, NEDG has concluded arrangements for a debate where the candidates would be grilled on economic Growth, Sustainability, Fiscal Policy, Monetary Policy, Diversification, Deregulation Digital Economy and Digital Transformation Imperatives. Speaking to Journalists in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, NEDG, Dr Eddie Emessiri said that the Presidential Candidates would also speak on inclusive Growth, on how Nigeria can attain the economic growth required to impact poverty and unemployment significantly and a stable macroeconomic environment. Emessiri said, “It is against the preceding that the participants of the Presidential debate are expected to share their insights on how Nigeria can sustainably grow its economy while addressing core issues in the following areas: Macroeconomic environment and indicators. The NEDG Executive Secretary who disclosed that the results of the opinion poll would be made known early next month and the debate to kick start almost immediately, said that the debate would be taken closer to the people beginning from Abuja and subsequently to Port Harcourt, Lagos and Kano, adding that the debates would be broadcast by all Federal government and state government owned Radio and Television stations.
According to him, each debate would last for a duration of 135 minutes and it is scheduled to hold 15th of next month in Abuja, just as he said that the debate would serve as a launched pad to discuss the roadmap towards an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria and an opinion poll is being conducted nationwide on all the eighteen Presidential Candidates with a view to narrowing them down to at least four most popular candidates to be finally engaged during the debate. Emessiri said that it behoves on the Presidential Candidates to make public their economic policies to help Nigerians make informed voting choices that would evolve around leaders who would transform country’s economy to prosperity. He said, ” this is the First 2023 General Election Debate specifically designed to provide a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge concerning the economic policies and agenda of our Candidates seeking election to the office of President of the. Federal Republic of Nigeria. “The Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG) and. the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) are collaborating and supported by some Civil Society Organisations in steering this initiative to ensure that Nigerians from all works of lives will by listening to the series: of debates scheduled become better informed on the economic and political policies of the presidential candidates. The electorate will therefore make informed decisions as they go to the polls to cast their votes in February 2023.
“This Presidential Debate on Economic Policy will serve asa launching pad to discuss the roadmap towards an inclusive and prosperous Nigeria. It is critical, like never before, to nudge Nigerians towards making informed voting choices that will evolve leaders who will transform our country with the sagacity and political will to steer our nation towards shared economic prosperity. The debate, scheduled to hold on November 15, 2022, at the Congress hall of the Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja as part of the Initiative towards sensitisin g stakeholders and citizens of Nigeria on peaceful, informed and accountable democratic participation. This Presidential Debate on Economic Policy seeks to curate content that addresses the State of our economy, the concems of the citizen to choose from among the presidential candidates and other leadership positions scheduled for the February General Elections. Given the critical conditions of our economy following the global downtum of economic and business activities, the issues for Debate should enable Nigerian comprehend the policy directions of the presidential candidates and the solutions that will provide a stable economy, address unemployment and drive economic growth based on their presentation of solutions to fiscal policy as well as other policies on industrialisation, trade, agriculture, investment, export promotion and infrastructure, and how these would influence changes to our current conditions. The Nigerian Election Debate Group, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and their civil society partners will host three other Debates to deal with other important issues to help the electorate have a better understanding of how the candidates are prepared to keep our nation on the path to prosperity.
“During those debates, the candidates will be taken closer to the electorate in the SouthWest, South-South and North-West geopolitical zones to discuss varying issues of national importance such as Foreign Relations, Governance Structure, National Defence and Security; Education/Information Technology, Health, among others would be discussed as the debates move from Abuja to Port Harcourton Thursday, December 15th 2022, Lagos on Thursday, January 19 2023 and Kano on Thursday, February 16, 2023. Details of issues in each zone will be made available early in each of the months specified. Each Debate will last for a duration of 135 minutes. ; There will be nationwide broadcast of the Debates by all the members of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, comprising all the Federal Public and state Government owned Stations, all private Radio and television stations including Direct -toHome TV an cable Stations. All debate sessions will be translated simultaneously into the main Nigerian languages, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Pidgin for ease of understanding and general acceptance. There will be simultaneous translations in sign language. Candidates who will feature in the debates will be selected based on the polls results we are conducting to allow the general public to make an input. The final list with ‘the names of the selected candidates, & the methodology for the selection process will be announced on the 8th of November a week before the first debate.”
