President Bola Ahmed Tinubu struck an upbeat note at the All Progressives Congress national policy summit in Abuja on Thursday, insisting that the toughest stretch of reform is behind Nigeria and that the economy “will be great again.” The moment a delegate shouted, “Follow who know road,” Tinubu flashed a grin and shot back: “I know the road, and we will lead you to the promised land. The resuscitation of Nigeria’s economy is on course.”
The President pointed to his first-year overhaul of petrol subsidies and the unification of multiple exchange-rate windows—moves that international lenders and investors have praised for restoring fiscal discipline and market confidence, even as they sparked a painful cost-of-living squeeze at home. Party chieftains lauded the reforms at the summit, citing record-high trade volumes and stronger revenue inflows since subsidies ended. “If in only two years we are where we are today, imagine the next few years,” Tinubu told the hall.
The President also sketched an industrialisation push built around the “Nigeria First” policy, which prioritises local content in public procurement and offers tax breaks to manufacturers willing to retool or expand plants. Analysts say the measures are beginning to unlock modest factory growth—even if the pace still trails government targets. Tinubu argued the groundwork is now in place for an export-oriented manufacturing boom and pledged fresh incentives to deepen value chains in steel, petrochemicals and electric-vehicle components.
Critics outside the venue warn that headline gains mask household hardship: inflation remains above 25 per cent and real wages have yet to catch up. Labour unions accuse the administration of “anti-worker” policies and rights groups have questioned transparency around subsidy-savings spending. Tinubu addressed those concerns obliquely, saying “the hope is standing before you” and urging Nigerians to give his team time to roll out targeted cash transfers, affordable mass-transit schemes and a new minimum-wage framework.
Agriculture and energy also featured in his roadmap. Tinubu said his government is finalising contracts for solar-powered minigrids across rural clusters and accelerating plans to cultivate 500,000 hectares of irrigation farmland—projects he said will create jobs and curb food inflation. “Industrial power and cheaper food are two legs of the same journey,” he noted.
The summit doubled as a show of political strength. Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas moved a motion—carried by acclamation—that Tinubu should fly the APC flag unopposed in 2027, while the Progressive Governors’ Forum promised to “deliver every state” for the party. Tinubu, acknowledging the endorsements, told delegates: “This is the only time you can correct and not complain. I owe you a world of gratitude for the ‘carry-go’ inspiration.”
As the applause subsided, he closed on a familiar refrain: “Nigeria will be industrialised. We will achieve our goals, and we will do it together.” The pledge may not silence sceptics struggling with soaring prices, but it signals a president banking on early-pain-for-later-gain economics—and the political capital to stay the course.
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