President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration’s economic reforms will ultimately deliver better living conditions and shared prosperity.
President Tinubu gave the assurance on Thursday in his address to Nigerians to mark the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The President defended the reforms introduced since he assumed office, saying they were aimed at addressing longstanding weaknesses in the economy despite the difficulties they created for citizens.
“When this administration assumed office, we resolved to do things differently. We chose to excise the cancer. The reforms that followed were difficult. The side effects were real. Yet, we must never confuse the medicine with the disease,” Tinubu said.
He said the reforms had not created Nigeria’s economic problems but were intended to address them, urging Nigerians to resist calls to return to what he described as “addictive subsidies.”
According to President Tinubu, Nigeria’s economy has grown by more than four per cent in 2026, with both the oil and non-oil sectors contributing to what he described as a period of stable growth.
He also said oil theft had declined, inflation had fallen substantially from its peak, foreign reserves had been rebuilt and the foreign exchange market had stabilised.
President Tinubu added that Nigeria recorded more than $6 billion in non-oil export revenue in 2025, which he described as the highest in the country’s history.
“These are not idle claims. International observers, journalists, NGOs and multilateral institutions can see the change,” he said.
The President also said foreign direct investment was continuing to rise, adding that the private sector had responded positively to the reforms.
President Tinubu said the government had now reached a turning point, with its focus shifting from correcting the economy’s direction to achieving “shared and widespread prosperity.”
He said prosperity should translate into safer farming, lower production costs, reliable electricity for factories, access to credit, productive jobs for young people and affordable food and transportation.
“It means a Nigeria in which food and transportation are affordable, education is within reach, and hard-working families can look towards the future with confidence,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 66 years since independence, President Tinubu acknowledged the country’s difficult history, including the civil war, military rule, economic crises, insecurity and political upheaval.
He, however, commended Nigerians for their resilience and contributions to the country’s development, including farmers, traders, teachers, entrepreneurs and members of the armed forces and security services.
The President said Nigeria’s independence represented more than freedom from colonial rule, describing it as a promise that citizens would have the opportunity, dignity and freedom to shape their own destiny.
“Sixty-six years later, Almighty God has made it our responsibility to deliver that promise,” President Tinubu said.
He called on Nigerians to reflect on the country’s journey, the choices made so far and the nation they intend to build for the future.