On Tuesday, 01 October, President Bola Tinubu addressed the nation in commemorating Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary reiterating that his reforms have yielded results and continue to do so.
He also highlighted the federal government’s intent to include youths in the administration announcing a 30-day national youth conference as a take-off point.
The highlights of the president’s speech also include:
- An admission of the country’s tough economic clime and its social impact that Nigerians bear the brunt of daily, especially regarding the high cost of living, astronomical food prices, and employment challenges. Claiming the concerns were being addressed firmly.
- A reflection on the nation’s progress since it gained independence in 1960 reiterating its resilience in the wake of crises like the civil war era from 06 July 1967 – 15 January 1970, and Nigeria’s continued effort to protect its diversity while maintaining unity.
- The level of progress made in combating terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent extremism, announcing the elimination of over 300 commanders of Boko Haram and other militant groups.
- The imperativeness of tough economic reforms to address fiscal misalignments, noting that these efforts have led to over $30 billion in foreign direct investment and improvements in fiscal stability.
- Reaffirmation of the daily challenges of Nigerians in meeting basic needs, he said, “The central concern of our people today is the high cost of living, especially food costs, be assured that we are implementing many measures to reduce the cost of living here at home.”
- An announcement of a National Youth Conference and several youth-centred initiatives, including the 3 Million Technical Talents programme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. “This conference will empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building.”
- The stance on Local Government Areas (LGAs) financial autonomy: he reemphasized his committment to implementing the supreme court ruling on the financial autonomy of local governments, he said, “As part of our efforts to re-engineer our political economy, we are resolute in our determination to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of local governments.”
- The announcement of plans to expand CNG goals saying, “our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.”
- Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Relief efforts: President Tinubu noted government efforts in responding to disasters, He said. “Our government has been responding to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country. After Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Maiduguri, I also visited to assure our people that this federal government will always stand with our people in their times of trouble. At the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, we approved a Disaster Relief Fund to mobilise private and public sector funds to help us respond faster to emergencies.”
- A forward looking and assured view of the future encouraging citizens to stay resilient and work together toward a better future, reiterating the administration’s commitment to an inclusive, thriving, and united Nigeria.
