President Bola Tinubu has promised to defeat poverty in Nigeria, but warned that tackling the problem will require time, discipline and sustained economic growth.
In his Independence Day address on Thursday, Mr Tinubu said his administration’s next priority was to move Nigeria from economic reforms towards what he described as an “age of prosperity”.
He acknowledged that millions of Nigerians were still struggling to afford basic necessities, including food, school fees, medical bills and transport.
“We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations,” the president said, adding that his government could, however, change the country’s trajectory and build an economy capable of steadily lifting people out of poverty. (State House Abuja)
Mr Tinubu said defeating poverty would require “discipline”, sustained growth year after year and the creation of millions of productive opportunities across the country.
He said the government would focus on job creation, enterprise and industrial growth, while expanding agricultural production, mechanisation, infrastructure, digital connectivity and access to finance.
The president also pointed to measures including direct support for poorer households, the National Social Register, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and consumer credit schemes as part of efforts to support vulnerable Nigerians.
However, he stressed that such programmes were not a substitute for prosperity.
“Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently. We will defeat it,” he said. (Channels TV)
Mr Tinubu argued that the economic reforms implemented since he took office in 2023 had laid the foundation for the next phase of his administration.
He said Nigeria’s economy had grown by more than 4% in 2026, while inflation had fallen from its peak and foreign reserves had been rebuilt. These figures and other economic claims were presented by the president as evidence that the country was entering a new phase of growth. (State House Abuja)
The president said the ultimate goal was a Nigeria where farmers could produce more cheaply, businesses could operate with greater access to power and finance, and young people could find productive employment.
“The age of reform has done its work. Now begins the age of prosperity,” he said.
Mr Tinubu concluded his Independence Day speech by urging Nigerians to look ahead, saying the country had “corrected its course” and should move forward without looking back. (State House Abuja)
