…President says reforms have revived growth, ended years of decay
President Bola Tinubu has declared that Nigeria is regaining global respect and economic stability just two years into his administration, crediting tough reforms for halting decades of fiscal decline.
A statement by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday revealed that the President made the claim on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja while hosting the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Oladunni Olaoye, and other royal fathers.
Tinubu said his government inherited a battered economy riddled with smuggling, fake records, and corruption but had taken decisive steps to reverse the trend.
“We had to take those actions. With your prayers, patience, perseverance, and great understanding, I’m glad to tell you today that the economy is stabilised. The bleeding has stopped. Haemorrhage is gone; the patient is alive,” Tinubu said.
The President highlighted key reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange unification, and the creation of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he described as a lifeline to ensure no student drops out of school due to poverty.
“Education is the greatest weapon you can give to human beings against poverty; that’s what we are doing,” he noted, adding that his administration remains aggressive in infrastructure and agricultural expansion.
READ ALSO: We Inherited a Bankrupt Nigeria, Now Economy’s Recovered — Tinubu
Tinubu pledged to engage the Ministers of Power, Water Resources, Agriculture, and Works to address specific requests from the monarchs, stressing that Nigeria has the potential to be self-sufficient in food production.
The Soun of Ogbomoso commended the President for his “bold leadership,” pointing to subsidy removal, forex reforms, and the awarding of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road dualisation contract as proof that the government’s decisions are yielding results.
The monarch also appealed for further federal interventions in water supply, power, healthcare, and agricultural research to harness the famed Ogbomoso mangoes and cashew nuts for industrial use.
Tinubu, in turn, lauded the monarch’s modernisation efforts in Ogbomosoland and promised sustained support for traditional institutions.
The high-level meeting was attended by other Ogbomoso royal fathers, community leaders, and senior government officials, including Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication.