SPEECH BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS STATE VISIT TO AND GRAND RECEPTION BY ANAMBRA STATE; AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE, 8TH MAY 2025
1. Protocols.
Anambra Kwenu! Anambra Kwenu!! Igbo Kwezuenu!!!
2. About 30 months ago, I stood at this Venue as Candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In less than two years since my assumption of office as your president, I am delighted to be back on a state visit and to commission some legacy projects by your state government. I come as a friend to the great people of Anambra and the Southeast. I salute your enterprise, innovation, and unwavering commitment to progress. Anambra has long stood as a beacon of commerce, intellect, and cultural strength — a pride not only to the Southeast but to Nigeria.
3. My visit today bears a bold testament to parts of my speech during my campaign here. I recall vividly telling you then, “Charles Soludo, your son…is still my friend. I salute his vision. He is a brilliant man. He has the brain. He is a thinker. He knows the way. We will work together inclusively. When I become the president, Soludo will be one of those advisors who will bring prosperity back to you”. From what I have seen and heard, it is evident that a solid foundation is being laid, and Anambra is indeed on the rise. Charles Soludo has been my friend since 2003, and I can also confirm that we are working together for a better Anambra and Nigeria.
4. I have just commissioned two landmark projects—the Solution Fun City and the Government House mini-city as part of the initial steps towards your audacious vision of Anambra as African-Dubai-Taiwan-Silicon Valley (ADTS). Together with the massive infrastructural transformation and human capital development, these are bold statements of vision and what leadership can achieve in such a short time. A few years ago, Dubai was largely a desert. Today, it is a global hub because one man dared to dream. I remember when Soludo wanted to consolidate the Nigerian banks; many said it was impossible. It was done, and Nigeria became better for it. I also recall when we dared to tame the Atlantic Ocean, and many naysayers doubted it. But we made it happen. Anambra has huge potential, and with Soludo, we can all work together to fast-track the vision.
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5. Let me commend the Government of Anambra State for its proactive efforts in improving security. I wish to assure you that the Federal Government will continue to partner with the State and the Southeast to secure our people and their future.
6. I have noted the state’s various challenges and your request for assistance and partnership. We will continue to partner with your state to deliver shared prosperity to Ndi Anambra and all Nigerians.
7. As your president, I am pleased to assure you that the nation’s state is strong and getting stronger by the day under our Renewed Hope Agenda. We met near-insolvent public finance, a decades-old monster of unsustainable multiple subsidies, a chaotic and debilitating forex regime, etc. Like we tamed the Atlantic in Lagos, many of these monsters have been tackled: petroleum and forex subsidies have been tamed; macroeconomic stability has returned within predictable bounds; tax reforms are on the way, etc. These reforms are difficult, yes, but inevitable.
Everyone had long recognised their imperatives. Courage and our collective action were required to confront them to lay a strong foundation for a more stable, prosperous and inclusive economy. Already, we are seeing renewed investor confidence, expanding opportunities, and targeted support for small businesses, especially in the tech and manufacturing sectors where Anambra is already excelling. Agriculture is receiving massive attention, and the results are beginning to show.