Nigeria @ 65: Tinubu Declares Worst Days Over, Projects Brighter Future

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday reassured Nigerians that the country’s most difficult days are behind it, declaring that his administration’s reforms are now yielding tangible results and that hope is rising for a stronger, more prosperous nation.

In a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said his government had since May 2023 chosen “the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today,” with bold economic measures designed to reset the country for sustainable growth.

“I am pleased to report that we have finally turned the corner. The worst is over,” he said. “Yesterday’s pains are giving way to relief. I salute your endurance, support, and understanding. I will continue to work for you and justify the confidence you reposed in me to steer the ship of our nation to safe harbour.”

The President praised the resilience of Nigerians, recalling that the country had survived a civil war, military rule, and decades of political and economic crises while still striving to build “a more perfect union.”

Reflecting on progress since independence in 1960, Tinubu noted that Nigeria has expanded from just two universities at the time to 274 universities, 183 polytechnics, and 236 colleges of education by 2024.

He defended his administration’s reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and unification of foreign exchange rates, describing them as tough but necessary decisions that dismantled distortions and ended rent-seeking practices. According to him, these changes freed resources for investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social programmes.

“In resetting our country for sustainable growth, we ended the corrupt fuel subsidies and multiple foreign exchange rates that benefited only a privileged minority,” Tinubu said. “Our administration has redirected the economy towards inclusiveness, channeling resources into education, healthcare, national security, agriculture, and critical infrastructure.”

Highlighting economic gains, the President listed 12 milestones achieved within two years and four months in office. He noted that GDP grew by 4.23 percent in the second quarter of 2025 — the fastest in four years — while inflation declined to 20.12 percent, the lowest level in three years.

Other improvements cited include rising non-oil revenue, reduced debt service costs, stronger foreign reserves at $42.03 billion, and a higher tax-to-GDP ratio of 13.5 percent. Nigeria, he added, had posted trade surpluses for five consecutive quarters, with manufactured exports growing by 173 percent and non-oil exports now making up 48 percent of total trade.

Oil production, he said, has recovered to 1.68 million barrels per day, while local refining has restarted for the first time in four decades, alongside the export of aviation fuel.

 He also pointed to a more stable naira, improved credit ratings, a buoyant stock market, and the Central Bank’s first interest rate cut in five years as signs of renewed investor confidence.

On security, Tinubu said heavy investments were being made to consolidate economic gains, claiming that security forces were recording major victories against terrorism, insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping. According to him, peace had returned to hundreds of communities, and thousands of displaced people had gone back home.

He also pledged continued focus on food security, roads, schools, and hospitals. “We must build the roads we need, repair the ones that have become decrepit, and construct the schools our children will attend and the hospitals that will care for our people. We have to plan for the generations that will come after us,” he said.

Addressing young Nigerians, Tinubu described them as the nation’s “greatest assets,” highlighting initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, which has already supported over 500,000 students, and youth credit schemes like Credicorp and YouthCred that provide loans for housing, devices, and resettlement. He also cited the $600 million iDICE programme, supported by international partners, to boost digital innovation and the creative economy.

Under social investment programmes, he said N330 billion had been disbursed to eight million households. He also highlighted progress in transport infrastructure, including rail, roads, airports, and seaports, with projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Eastern Rail Project underway.

While acknowledging the hardship of reforms, Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain patient, stressing that avoiding the painful adjustments would have pushed the country towards bankruptcy.

“I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos was not an option,” he said. 

Concluding his address, the President called for productivity, unity, and patriotism. “Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here.”

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