Shettima Pledges End To Nigeria’s Economic Pain As APC Opens Campaign In Lafia
By Sunday Etuka
Vice President Kashim Shettima has told Nigerians that the worst of the country’s economic hardship is behind them, insisting that the reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration have already stabilised the economy and are now being backed by large-scale infrastructure projects.
Speaking on Wednesday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Shettima acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians have faced but said the government had come through a painful but successful process.
“We are not in denial about the short-term pain that has accompanied our reforms. We have already come through that surgery, and believe me, it was successful,” he said.
He recalled that the administration inherited fiscal pressure, an infrastructure deficit and weak investor confidence, problems he said no responsible government could have postponed addressing.
According to him, the Renewed Hope Agenda has since improved revenue generation, restored investor confidence and increased allocations to subnational governments, giving states more resources for development.
Shettima said the government’s transport projects are designed to link production centres with markets, create jobs and lower costs for traders and families. He described the Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Biu and Maiduguri Superhighway as a key project that will strengthen economic ties between the North-Central and North-East, alongside the Lagos to Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto to Badagry Superhighway. He explained that better roads would ease the movement of farm produce, minerals and manufactured goods.
On Nasarawa State specifically, the Vice President said its agricultural and mineral wealth positions it to gain from improved transport networks and the push for local production.
He disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the conversion of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering and Technology, which he described as an investment in the technical manpower needed to develop the solid minerals sector.
He also pointed to the commissioning of the Diamond New Energy Lithium Processing Plant in the state as evidence of the administration’s focus on processing minerals at home. The reforms, he said, are meant to create manufacturing jobs and reduce the export of raw minerals. On education, he said students from the state can access financing for higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Shettima commended Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for investments in roads, flyovers, urban infrastructure, education and healthcare.
He said the APC had come to account for its stewardship and to seek a renewed mandate for President Tinubu and the party’s candidates, so that ongoing programmes can be completed. He also urged supporters to reject violence and keep politics focused on issues.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said Tinubu’s first term had been unprecedented in Nigeria’s democratic history and argued that many current projects could only be finished if the President returned for another four years.
APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda urged voters in Nasarawa and the North-Central region to back President Tinubu, Senator Wadada and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections. Progressive Governors Forum Chairman Hope Uzodimma called Tinubu the architect of modern Nigeria and made a similar appeal for votes.
Nasarawa governorship candidate Senator Ahmed Wadada defended the reforms, citing improving economic indicators and growth in the capital market. He said only an open enemy would dismiss the Federal Government’s achievements since May 2023.
Earlier, on arrival, the Vice President visited the palace of the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd), and conveyed the President’s greetings. Shettima described Nasarawa as a miniature Nigeria, where many ethnic groups share a common home.
The Emir wished President Tinubu success in the coming elections and expressed confidence that Nigerians would choose the best candidate. He also praised Shettima for his loyalty, steadfastness and dedication to public service, calling him a dependable partner to the President.
