By Ado Oyeyemi
President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged that millions of Nigerians are still struggling to afford basic necessities, including food, school fees, healthcare and transportation, saying his administration is determined to move beyond managing poverty to eliminating it.
Tinubu made the declaration on Thursday in his 66th Independence Day address to Nigerians, where he admitted that many households were yet to feel the full benefits of the economic reforms introduced by his administration.
The President, who returned to Nigeria on Wednesday after a working visit to France, said the hardship confronting Nigerians did not begin with his administration, but was the result of years of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, limited opportunities and weak institutions.
He said, “I am also conscious that millions of our fellow citizens cannot wait for tomorrow.
Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work.
“Their circumstances did not begin with the reforms of the last three years. Their struggle is the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunity and institutions that too often failed those who needed them most.”
Tinubu, however, said his administration could not undo in four years problems that had accumulated over several generations, but could redirect the country and gradually lift more Nigerians out of poverty.
He said the government had continued to pay salaries and pensions on time and in full since 2023, while reforms to the national pension system were designed to provide greater support for retirees and vulnerable citizens.
The President stressed that such interventions were only temporary support and should not become a substitute for economic prosperity.
“These programmes are not substitutes for prosperity. They are a bridge to aid our nation’s citizens on their path towards it. Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently. We will defeat it,” Tinubu declared.
He said achieving the goal would require time, discipline, sustained economic growth and the creation of millions of productive jobs and business opportunities.
According to him, the next phase of the government’s economic programme would focus on ensuring that reforms translated into tangible improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians, rather than being reflected only in macroeconomic indicators.
“When I speak of prosperity, I do not speak merely of a larger economy, abstract numbers or better statistics. I mean something much more personal,” the President said.
He said the government wanted a Nigeria where farmers could produce more at lower costs, businesses could access reliable electricity and credit, young people could secure productive employment, and families could afford food, transportation and education.
Tinubu said reducing the cost of living would remain a major priority, adding that the government would focus on lowering the cost of producing and transporting goods across the country.
He listed increased agricultural production, mechanised irrigation, improved access to seeds and fertiliser, better storage facilities and upgraded transportation infrastructure among measures being pursued to reduce food prices.
The President also said the government was constructing and completing roads, railways and ports to improve the movement of agricultural and industrial goods from production centres to markets.
He explained that reducing production and distribution costs would ultimately translate into lower prices for consumers.
Tinubu also linked poverty reduction to job creation, particularly for young Nigerians entering the workforce in large numbers every year.
“Nigeria is a young country. Millions of young Nigerians enter adulthood every year with talent, energy and ambition.
Our responsibility is to ensure that this great demographic strength becomes an engine of production rather than a source of despair,” he said.
He said the administration would deploy gas to power industries, support businesses seeking to reopen factories, expand digital connectivity and invest in skills required by employers.
“We are therefore placing jobs, enterprise, and industrial growth at the heart of our government’s policies,” he said.
The President’s comments come amid continued debate over the impact of his administration’s economic reforms, which the government has repeatedly defended as necessary to address structural weaknesses and establish the foundation for long-term growth.
Tinubu acknowledged in his May 2026 third-anniversary address that the reforms had placed “enormous pressure” on families, workers and businesses, while maintaining that the economy was stabilising.
He said the ultimate test of the reforms would be whether economic improvements translated into better living conditions and greater opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.
“I want to see more Nigerians making things. I want to see more Nigerian farms feeding our cities and supplying our factories. I want to see Nigerian businesses selling Nigerian goods to the whole world. I want young Nigerians building unicorns and creating opportunities for others here at home,” he said.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to remain committed to the country’s future, saying the sacrifices associated with the reform process should ultimately produce tangible benefits.
READ ALSO
- Gunmen abduct passengers in fresh attack on Onitsha-Owerri road
- Bandits kill resident, abduct nine in Independence Day attack
- Canada to announce new immigration targets for 2027–2029
- Team Nigeria steps up preparations for Youth Olympic Games
- US Rapper Rick Ross Arrested In Miami
“The Promised Land before us is a Nigeria of abundance and opportunity; a nation where prosperity is broadly shared, where every child can dream beyond the circumstances of his birth, and where our country’s immense promise is finally reflected in the lives of our people,” he said.
