COVID-19 fallout: Osinbajo chairs ESC meeting

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, presided over the meeting of the Economic Sustainability Committee(ESC) set up to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on March 30, set up the committee to develop a clear economic sustainability plan to run through 2023.

The meeting is the third for the committee after it was inaugurated by the vice president on April 2.

The committee was tasked with identifying fiscal and monetary measures to enhance oil and non-oil revenues in order to fund the plan, develop a stimulus package and come up with measures to create more jobs while keeping existing ones.

Members of the committee are Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

Others are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Farouq and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Slyva.

Also in the committee are the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr Mele Kyari, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.

The Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babatunde Lawal, is also a member and secretary of the committee.