Esther Salifu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has admitted that his administration’s economic reforms have brought temporary hardship to Nigerians but insisted that the alternative of allowing the country to slide into chaos or bankruptcy was not an option.
The President stated this in a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
He assured citizens that resources saved and stability achieved through the reforms are being channelled into critical sectors of the economy.
” Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments.
“Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option,” Tinubu said.
He noted that the administration’s macroeconomic progress proves the sacrifices are yielding results.
“Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand.
“The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities.
The President highlighted that savings from reforms have given federal, state, and local governments greater resources to drive development.
Tinubu described his message on the anniversary as one of hope and a call to action, urging citizens and sub-national governments to embrace productivity, innovation, and enterprise.
“Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise Made-in-Nigeria goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes,” Tinubu charged.
He also pointed to ongoing improvements in public services, citing the Ministry of Interior’s faster passport processing as an example of reforms working in practice.
“Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise, just like the Ministry of Interior has done with our travel passports, by quickening the processing. In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building,” Tinubu said.
