President Bola Tinubu has stated that even though Nigeria may not have achieved all the lofty dreams of its forebearers, it has not strayed too far from them.
Noting that in 65 years since Independence, the country has made tremendous progress in economic growth, social cohesion, and physical development.
Tinubu stated this on Wednesday in a National Broadcast, marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
He said in the last 28 months of his administration, like the nation’s founding fathers and leaders who came before him, he has committed himself irrevocably to the unfinished nation-building business.
The President said upon assuming office, his administration inherited a near-collapsed economy caused by decades of fiscal policy distortions and misalignment that had impaired real growth.
However, he said under his leadership, the economy is recovering fast, and the reforms started over two years ago are delivering tangible results.
“The second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%—Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years—and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund.
“Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years. The administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs,” he noted.
President Tinubu disclosed that in the last two years of the administration, it has achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of sound fiscal and monetary policies.
“We have attained arecord-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.
“We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% tobelow 50%. We have paid down the infamous “Ways and Means” advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation.
“Following the removal of the corrupt petroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable,as well as all tiers of government.
“We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September—the highest since 2019,” he noted.
The President also noted that the administration is winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes across the country.
Specifically, he noted that peacehas returned to hundreds of liberated communities in North-West and North-East, affirming that thousands of people have returned safely to their homes.
This, he attributed to the tireless efforts and significant sacrifices of the officers and men of the armed forces and other security agencies in the country.
On education, he said the administration created NELFUND to support students with loans for their educational pursuits. Adding that approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions.
“As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7billion,” the President informed.
He noted that Credicorp, another initiative of his administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices,and more.
The President added that the YouthCred,which he promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement.
While stating that the accurate measure of the administration’s success would not be limited to economic statistics alone, President Tinubu said it would rather be in the food on families’ tables, the quality of education the children receive, the electricity in people’s homes, and the security in the communities.
He assured of the administration’s determination to ensure that the resources saved and the stability built are channelled into these critical areas.
Stating that the governors atthe state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments, the President said all hands should be on deck, and also believe, once more, in the boundless potential of the country.
