President Muhammadu Buhari has advised his Ministers-Designate to be prudent with the resources of the nation.

While making his opening remarks at a retreat organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for ministers-designate, Buhari said his administration would be judged by how many Nigerians are moved out of poverty.

Buhari urged the ministers-designate to be the drivers of change, as they ‘come aboard the ship of governance’ at a very interesting time.

“My election as President of this country was hinged on my promise to tackle corruption, insecurity and revive the economy.

“We have already taken deliberate measures to plug leakages of government revenue and resources. You all know the steps we have taken to tackle Boko Haram. We have degraded them and in desperation, they are resorting to attacks on soft targets, killing innocent people.

“Diversification of the economy away from oil will be a major focus of this government. We will intervene in mining and agriculture and upgrade the country’s physical and social infrastructure, which will broaden our revenue base and significantly improve the level of employment, especially among the youth.

“Our economic focus will be policies that will ensure inclusive growth and we will count our achievements based on the number of Nigerians we move out of poverty.

“The objective of this retreat is clearly reflected in the choice of topics which you will be dealing with during the sessions. The need for observing the rule of law is being emphasised to ensure that impunity is removed from government conduct.

“You are coming on board the ship of governance at an interesting time. So much has been said about the state of our economy. It is expected that we make the running of government at all levels as lean as possible, avoid waste and conserve resources. As Ministers, you must be the vehicle that will administer the change.”