ERGP Policy Summary

What Is This Policy?

The Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) is Nigeria’s medium-term national development framework for the period 2017–2020, designed to pull the country out of its first recession in 25 years and set it on a path of sustained, inclusive growth. Developed by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning following the sharp collapse of global crude oil prices from mid-2014, the ERGP builds on the 2016 Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) and addresses the structural weaknesses of an economy that had become dangerously oil-dependent, import-driven, and undiversified. It charts a course of macroeconomic stabilisation, economic diversification, infrastructure investment, and human capital development — running the Nigerian economy on multiple engines of growth rather than the single engine of oil.

Who Does It Target?

All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for implementing sectoral strategies and annual budgets aligned with ERGP priorities The private sector — from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to large domestic and multinational corporations — as the primary engine of national growth State and local governments, which share a co-implementation role in agriculture, infrastructure, social inclusion, and governance reforms Domestic and foreign investors targeted through improved ease of doing business, infrastructure provision, and sectoral incentives Nigerian citizens, particularly youth, women, and vulnerable populations targeted through job creation, social investment, and human capital programmes Development partners and international financial institutions engaged to co-finance infrastructure and social investment

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Restore positive GDP growth — targeting 7% real GDP growth by 2020 — driven initially by the oil sector, then increasingly by agriculture, manufacturing, and services Stabilise the macroeconomic environment by reducing inflation, achieving a stable market-reflective exchange rate, and restoring sustainable fiscal and external balances Diversify the economy away from oil dependency by growing agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing, and services sectors Achieve energy sufficiency — deliver at least 10 GW of operational power capacity by 2020 and become a net exporter of refined petroleum products Invest in people by expanding social inclusion programmes, creating jobs (especially for youth), rolling out the National Health Insurance Scheme, and guaranteeing access to basic education Build a globally competitive economy through infrastructure investment in roads, rail, ports, and broadband, and by improving Nigeria’s World Bank Doing Business ranking to the top 100 by 2020

Key Features

Three Strategic Objectives: Restoring growth; investing in our people; building a globally competitive economy — the three pillars that anchor all ERGP programmes and sectoral strategies Twelve Execution Priorities: Macroeconomic stabilisation; agriculture and food security; energy sufficiency; transportation infrastructure; industrialisation; social investment; health; education; governance; anti-corruption; job creation; and digital-led growth Delivery Unit: A dedicated Presidential Delivery Unit established in the Presidency to drive implementation, set targets, allocate resources, and monitor progress across all MDAs Private Sector Partnership: Government repositioned from omnibus provider to enabler, with the private sector designated as the engine of growth through PPPs, deregulation, and improved business environment Science, Technology & Innovation: STI embedded across all sectors to drive national competitiveness, productivity, digital-led growth and a knowledge-based economy SDG Alignment: All ERGP initiatives designed to address the three SDG dimensions — economic, social, and environmental sustainability — consistent with Nigeria’s 2030 Agenda commitments Budget Integration: Budget and Planning functions merged into one Ministry to create direct alignment between annual Appropriations Acts and the ERGP medium-term framework

Current Status

Plan Period: Concluded — ERGP ran from February 2017 to December 2020; served as the source document for Nigeria’s annual budgets (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Appropriations Acts) Recession Exit: Nigeria officially exited recession in August 2017, within six months of ERGP launch; GDP growth turned positive at 0.55% in Q2 2017 and rose to 1.9% in 2018 Agriculture: Agricultural GDP grew consistently; rice production expanded significantly under the Agriculture Promotion Policy, reducing import dependency; Anchor Borrowers Programme disbursed over N300 billion to smallholder farmers Infrastructure: Second Niger Bridge construction accelerated; Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and Abuja–Kano road rehabilitations advanced; Itakpe–Warri rail line completed after 30 years Social Investment: N-Power Programme enrolled over 500,000 graduates; Conditional Cash Transfer reached over one million poorest households; National Home Grown School Feeding Programme fed millions of pupils daily Succession: ERGP succeeded by the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) launched in June 2020 to address COVID-19 shocks, followed by the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025

How to Access

Businesses & Investors: Engage the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) for investment facilitation and ease-of-doing-business reforms MSMEs: Access the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) credit lines, and Made-in-Nigeria procurement preferences Farmers & Agribusinesses: Apply for Anchor Borrowers Programme loans through CBN; access Growth Enhancement Support (GES), NIRSAL credit guarantees, and Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) Youth & Job Seekers: Register for N-Power, public works programmes, and technical/vocational training under the ERGP job creation and youth empowerment framework State Governments: Coordinate with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning for sub-national ERGP alignment, joint infrastructure projects, and social investment co-financing Contact: Ministry of Budget & National Planning, Abuja | budgetoffice.gov.ng | Ministry of Finance: finance.gov.ng | NIPC: nipc.gov.ng

Important Terms

Structural Transformation: The ERGP’s goal of permanently shifting Nigeria’s economic base from oil and consumption to agriculture, manufacturing, services, and technology-led growth Delivery Unit: A high-level coordination body in the Presidency with authority to drive implementation, track KPIs, and hold MDAs accountable for ERGP targets PEBEC: Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council — the executive body tasked with reducing regulatory and administrative barriers to business in Nigeria Zero Oil Plan: An ERGP initiative to develop non-oil exports to the point where Nigeria can cover its import needs without relying on oil revenue, advancing economic diversification N-Power: A flagship social investment programme under the ERGP that employed graduates in education, health, agriculture, and technology to address youth unemployment

Impact & Metrics

Nigeria exited its first recession in 25 years by Q2 2017, six months after the ERGP was launched in February 2017 GDP growth recovered from –1.5% in 2016 to 1.9% in 2018, with non-oil sectors — agriculture, trade, and services — leading the recovery Over 500,000 youth enrolled in the N-Power programme; over one million households received Conditional Cash Transfers under the social investment pillar Customs revenue surpassed N1 trillion in 2017, supporting fiscal consolidation targets set under the ERGP macroeconomic framework The ERGP served as the umbrella framework incorporating 60 national development strategies, 12 of which were identified as execution priorities driving budgets from 2018 to 2021

Official Resources

Website: budgetoffice.gov.ng | finance.gov.ng | nipc.gov.ng | osgf.gov.ng Policy Document: Economic Recovery & Growth Plan 2017–2020 — available via the Ministry of Budget & National Planning and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) Contact: Ministry of Budget & National Planning, Federal Secretariat, Abuja, Nigeria Summary prepared using the Policy Summary Template | Source: ERGP 2017–2020, Ministry of Budget & National Planning, National Bureau of Statistics, Budget Office of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, NIPC, Templars Law | March 2026

Legal Framework

The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) derives its planning authority from the National Planning Commission Act and the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. It aligned with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030 Agenda), the African Union's Agenda 2063, and IMF structural reform recommendations under Nigeria's Article IV consultation. The ERGP was the policy framework underlying the 2017–2020 Appropriation Acts.