Tinubu Declares Nigeria Has Turned Corner, Pledges New Era Of Shared Prosperity

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Nigeria has emerged from the difficult phase of his administration’s economic reforms, saying the country is now entering an era focused on shared and widespread prosperity.

Tinubu made the declaration in his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as the country marked its 66th anniversary of independence.

The President said the reforms implemented since his administration assumed office in 2023 had been necessary to correct longstanding economic distortions, insisting that the difficulties experienced by Nigerians were not created by the reforms but were consequences of problems that had accumulated over decades.

According to him, Nigeria’s economy has now entered a period of more stable growth, with economic growth exceeding four per cent this year, while both the oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to the recovery.

“Three and a half years later, the evidence that Nigeria’s economic outlook has improved is undeniable,” Tinubu said, citing reduced oil theft, declining inflation from its peak, rebuilt foreign reserves and greater stability in the foreign exchange market.

He also said Nigeria recorded more than $6 billion in non-oil export revenue in 2025, describing the development as evidence of growing activity among Nigerian businesses.

Tinubu said the government’s economic priority would now shift from correcting the country’s economic direction to delivering tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.

“The emergency treatment is over. The foundation has been repaired. The central economic task before us has changed. For three years, our overriding purpose was to correct our nation’s course. Now, our purpose is simple: shared and widespread prosperity,” he said.

The President said the new phase would focus on reducing the cost of living by lowering the cost of production and transportation, while expanding agricultural production, mechanised farming, irrigation, storage and infrastructure.

He said the government would continue investing in roads, railways and ports to improve the movement of goods from farms and factories to markets.

Tinubu also placed job creation and industrial expansion at the centre of the next phase of his administration, promising to use Nigeria’s gas resources to support new industries, revive factories, expand digital connectivity and provide Nigerians with skills required by employers.

He expressed the desire to see more Nigerian-made products competing in international markets and more young Nigerians establishing technology companies and creating jobs.

On poverty and social protection, the President acknowledged that millions of Nigerians still struggle with food, education, healthcare and transportation costs.

He said the government was strengthening direct support for vulnerable households and improving the National Social Register to ensure that assistance reaches people who genuinely need it.

Tinubu also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, CREDICORP and government interventions in primary healthcare, basic education, pensions and other essential public services as measures designed to support citizens while the broader economy grows.

He, however, said social intervention programmes could not replace economic prosperity.

“Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently. We will defeat it,” the President declared, while acknowledging that achieving the goal would require sustained economic growth and the creation of millions of productive opportunities.

Tinubu said Nigeria’s young population represented a major economic opportunity if properly harnessed through employment, enterprise, skills development and industrialisation.

He urged Nigerians to look beyond the hardships of the reform period and focus on the opportunities he said were emerging from the economic changes.

“The age of reform has done its work. Now begins the age of prosperity,” Tinubu said.

The President also appealed for national unity and continued confidence in the country, saying Nigeria had “corrected its course” and should not return to the policies and practices that created previous economic distortions.

He concluded his Independence Day message by describing the Nigeria he envisaged as a nation of abundance and opportunity, where prosperity is broadly shared and children can aspire beyond the circumstances of their birth.

“Our destination is in sight. Our foundations are strong. Our direction is clear. So let us go forward. No looking back,” Tinubu said.

He wished Nigerians a happy Independence Day and prayed for the continued progress of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.