News
El-Rufai, Wike, other nominees to face Senate screening on Monday

The Senate will, on Monday, commence the screening of the ministerial nominees submitted to it by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday.
This is just as indications emerged that the President will create new ministries and form his full cabinet in two weeks.
Speaking shortly after the names of 28 nominees sent to the federal lawmakers were read on the floor by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), said the Upper Chamber had suspended all its activities to commence the screening immediately.
Adaramodu said, “Screening will commence on Monday. We have suspended all the rules to accommodate the screening of the nominees.
“We were supposed to proceed on our vacation today (Thursday) but it has been suspended for this screening. We are starting the screening on Monday. We are not going to allocate time to nominees to talk.
“We will start by 11am on Monday and other days at 10am. We are ready to sit all day to screen them, with no limitation of hours. We won’t even time them. We would listen to them reel out their blueprint to us. The screening would be done in the presence of Nigerians.”
Much-awaited list
Akpabio, at plenary, unveiled the list consisting of 28 nominees.
The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajamiabila, delivered the list to the Senate President.
Prominent people who made the list are former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike (Rivers), former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi (Ebonyi).
Others are the acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Kyari (Borno); the party’s women leader Beta Edu (Cross River); Deputy Chief Whip of the Ninth House of Representatives, Nkiruka Onyejiocha ( Abia); a lawyer, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, (Kwara); and the President’s Special Adviser on Media, Strategy and Special Duties, Dele Alake, (Ekiti).
Also, contained in the list is a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Adebayo Adelabu (Oyo); former Minister of State, Health, Ali Pate, (Bauchi); and Senator John Eno, (Cross River).
The rest are Abubakar Momoh (Edo); Ambassador Yusuf Maitama, (Bauchi), Ahmad Dangiwa (Katsina), Hanatu Musawa, (Katsina), Chief Uche Nnaji, (Enugu), Doris Aniche (Imo), Mohamed Badaru (Jigawa), Ekperikpe Ekpo (Akwa Ibom), Olubumi Tunde-Ojo, (Ondo), Stella Okotete, (Delta), Uju Ohanaeye (Anambra) and Bello Goronyo, (Sokoto).
Mohammed Idris (Niger), Olawale Edun (Ogun), Imman Suleiman (Nassarawa), Joseph Utsev, (Benue) and Sani Danladi ( Taraba) also made the 28-man list.
Having read out the names, the Senate referred the list to the Committee of the Whole.
11 states missing
Although the constitution prescribes that the President shall appoint at least a minister from each of the 36 states of the federation, the list sent by the Tinubu contained names of nominees from 25 states, leaving out 11 states.
The states not yet covered are Lagos, Kano, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Gombe, Kebbi, Kogi, Osun, Plateau, Yobe and Zamfara.
Meanwhile, Bauchi, Cross River and Katsina states got two slots each.
New ministries coming
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila said Nigerians should expect the naming of new ministries as President unveils another list of 13 ministerial nominees “in the coming days.”
“Mr President intends to separate portfolios or restructure the ministries in such a way that you might be hearing of new ministries that were not standalone ministries before,” the Chief of Staff to the President told State House Correspondents hours after he submitted the ministerial list to the Senate.
Explaining how the names on the list emerged, Gbajabiamila said, “Mr President took his time to sift through those names. He dissected those names with a fine-tooth comb.
“That’s what you have seen. Everyone, I believe, of the persons on that list is worth being on that list.
“But I hope we haven’t missed anything that would have necessitated any name not being on that list.”
He explained that the names were sent to the Senate without specific portfolios attached to give the President enough flexibility to decide who handles what portfolio.
He said, “I like the idea of attaching portfolios because it makes it necessary for the Senate to know exactly what you’re asking and looking for.
“As good as that sounds, it straitjackets the President to pigeonhole one person in an office or the other. What happens if he changes his mind? Do you then bring the person back for screening again? This is because the President is at liberty to change his mind.
“But for now, it’s been thought wise that we stick to the tradition of sending the names and then while the screening processes are going on, it allows Mr President and his team to look at the portfolios and the characters and see how they fit.”
Gbajabiamila explained that President Tinubu is sure that all the nominees can “fit in anywhere” except for specialised offices such as the Attorney-General.
On the remaining nominees, he said the “12 or maybe 13 will be forwarded to the Senate in the coming days.”
He revealed that the cabinet should be fully formed and functioning within the next two weeks.
“Work should start in earnest for them in the next week or two because I don’t see the Senate wasting too much time in the confirmation, not because they’re not going to do a thorough job, they will do a thorough job.
“But they will balance it with the knowledge that in this time that we are in, time is of the essence.”
PDP knocks Wike
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Timothy Osadolor, in an interview with The PUNCH, described the ministerial list as an average collection of people who do not have what it takes to make a difference in the life of the nation.
Speaking specifically on the inclusion of Wike on the list, Osadolor, Osadolor, a member of the PDP National Executive Committee, said members of the party were not surprised.
He added that Wike merely confirmed the claim in many quarters that he offered himself as a tool in the hands of a rival party to work against the PDP in the 2023 elections.
He said, “To those who are not members of the PDP, they may be surprised but we (members of the party) are not. We wish him well and hope he does not end up eating those he has elected to join as he did to the party that brought him into the national limelight.”
On the capacity of the nominees to deliver on expectations, Osadolor said the bulk of the men chosen by the President “are at best average,” adding that no one should expect them to give what they don’t have.
“Who on the list can you refer to as a goal-getter apart from maybe two or three? They are at best, average collection of former this and former that. We honestly don’t know what they have to offer Nigerians,” he added.
His position however contrasted with that of the New Nigeria People’s Party whose spokesman in the 2023 presidential election, Johnson Ladipo, urged Nigerians to give the ministerial nominees the benefit of the doubt.
He said, “Some of them are well known and we believe Mr President has confidence in them. We hope they get to work soon and based on their experiences, I think Nigerians can be hopeful of good days ahead.
“Yes, Nigerians may have issues with some of the names who probably didn’t do well in their previous positions but they garnered experiences which may now guide them to do better.
“There is no reason to begin to express fear when they have not been cleared yet and even though we don’t envisage any problem with their clearance, Nigerians should not begin to condemn them as they are yet to get started.”
LP indifferent
The spokesman of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, said the party had no interest in whoever the President prefers to appoint to his cabinet.
Tanko said until the party reclaims its mandate at the election petition tribunal, it won’t show interest in any alleged illegality perpetrated by the ruling government.
He said, “We are challenging this government’s existence in the court. In that case, we cannot be giving credence to whatever activities that this particular government is doing. But on a cursory look, they are not doing anything different from this same old stuff prevalent among old politicians.
“We are not perturbed about it at all. What we are interested in is getting our mandate back. So whether the list comes out or not, it doesn’t interest us at all. We are still awaiting the outcome of the tribunal. It is after the decision of the tribunal that we will make our position known as regards whatever the government is doing.”
APC speaks
The Director of Publicity of the All Progressives Congress, Bala Ibrahim, believed that it is too early for the ruling party to start dissecting the list.
Ibrahim, however, expressed satisfaction, saying the party is glad that two notable members of the APC National Working Committee made the list.
“I think it is too early for the ruling party to say anything. The ministerial list is incomplete. Let’s wait until the final list is released. We don’t know who is coming and in the first one, we have two members of the NWC committee there.
“We can’t say anything until the final list is out. But we are so far happy with what we have seen,” he said.
The National Secretary of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dipo Olayoku, said, “As a party, NNPP cannot make its position known now because we have not seen the full list and the party has not met to discuss. So it will be difficult for anybody to talk on behalf of NNPP concerning the list.
The PDP in Rivers State thanked Tinubu for nominating Wike.
The state Publicity Secretary, Sydney Gbara, said this in an interview with The PUNCH.
“The nomination of former Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike by President Bola Tinubu is a welcome development to the party, though not a surprise to us because His Excellency has distinguished himself as a leader,” he said.
But the Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Mr Darlington Nwauju, said the party would come up with an official reaction at the appropriate time.
A former presidential aspirant of the APC, Dr Felix Nicolas, decried the absence of young persons on the list.
He, however, advised that the more sensitive ministries such as Trade, Finance and Health be entrusted to technocrats with a firm grasp of the workings of the respective sectors.
He said, “The President has been under a lot of pressure to balance technocrats and politicians, especially these career politicians who are former governors who have no other business but to continue in politics. He has managed to get the balance.
“The challenge will be if these past governors are posted to very sensitive ministries. Because those are just politicians, they just want to stay in politics. The President cannot do without playing the regular politics of satisfying some stakeholders across the various states.”
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Olusola Obadimu, urged the President to set time-framed targets for the appointees to ensure that they perform optimally in line with the expectations of Nigerians.
He said, “The most important thing is for whoever has been chosen to perform in whichever role he has been given. The government can set up machinery for performance measurement. After assigning them portfolios, they should give them targets related to their portfolios. If you don’t put time into the targets, it doesn’t make sense. So, you have to give them tasks.
“If you don’t task them, before you know it, four years are gone without any achievements. They have to be given time-specified goals and tasks. There should also be machinery for performance review and monitoring.
“There should be a unit within the Presidency to monitor quarterly. After their FEC meetings, each minister should be able to make presentations and show how he has handled the goals set for him so that the council can jointly review and advise.”
Also speaking, a facilitator with the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Dr Ikenna Nwaosu, stated, “He submitted the list within the constitutional period, so there is no adverse comment on that. The question of competence is relative because anybody that thinks the President is going to appoint technocrats is wasting his time.
“There are many political IOUs he has to pay and sort out. So there has to be a mix of politicians and technocrats. But unfortunately, the proposed positions are not tied to any name. So you cannot appropriately evaluate. However, it is the National Assembly that has the final decision on their competence.”
In his contribution, public affairs analyst, Mr Jide Ojo, noted that with the right working condition, the ministerial nominees can deliver and make a huge statement.
Ojo flayed those calling on Tinubu to pick technocrats ahead of politicians, noting that the meaning of technocrat may have been lost on many commentators.
Thorough screening
The Senate spokesman noted that this time, the screening will be thorough.
He said, “We are going to know the background of the nominees and we are not going to disappoint Nigerians.
“All the dry bones, physically and socially must rise. Until it comes forward in their resume, it is not going to be a shallow screening. You must have the character, you must have the face, and you must have the behaviour to be among the cabin crew that is going to fly Nigeria.
“This time around, Nigeria is going to be better. Whoever gets to the floor of the Senate will be screened.”
Similarly, Senator Victor Umeh ( LP, Anambra Central) said the Senate was focused on approving ministers who would do the job and move the nation forward.
Commenting on the first batch, the lawmaker representing Imo West, Osita Izunaso, noted that the constitution didn’t state precisely if the entire ministerial list should be sent at once.
The Senator representing Edo South, Neda Imasuen, said, “For now, we have our fingers crossed till they bring the remaining list.
“The nomination of the ministers is the prerogative of the President. I am sure he has met with them and he knows what he saw in them to have nominated them.”
News
Kogi Enforcing Ban on Trailer Parks from October 29 – Fanwo
The decision followed credible intelligence reports that some trailer parks in the state, particularly those located at Zariagi and Osara, have become hideouts for criminal elements.

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has announced that strict enforcement of the ban on trailer parks across the state will start effective from October 29, 2025.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, who disclosed this in Lokoja, said that the decision followed credible intelligence reports that some trailer parks in the state, particularly those located at Zariagi and Osara, have become hideouts for criminal elements.
He emphasised that the government cannot fold its arms while such facilities are used to compromise the security of lives and property in the state.“
The directive of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, is clear. From October 29, 2025, the state will begin full enforcement of the ban on trailer parks.
Intelligence at our disposal shows that some of these parks, especially those at Zariagi and Osara, harbor criminals who threaten the peace and security of our people.
This is a proactive and preventive measure. We have decided to move ahead of the criminals instead of lamenting after lives might have been lost.
Government will not allow that to continue,” Fanwo said.
He revealed that security agencies across the state have been strictly briefed to enforce the order without compromise, stressing that violators will face the full weight of the law.
The Commissioner further noted that the enforcement is backed by law, as Governor Ododo has already signed into law a bill banning the movement of articulated trucks during the day.
Fanwo urged operators to comply before the enforcement date and called on residents to support the government’s action, stressing that protecting lives and securing communities remain the top priority of the present administration.
International
Deported Nigerian Claims Ghanaian Officials Abandoned Him in Togo

A Nigerian man deported from the United States to Ghana has alleged that he is now stranded in Togo after Ghanaian authorities secretly transferred him and five others across the border without informing Togolese officials.
According to on Wednesday, the man, who spoke anonymously, said he was initially held at a military camp in Ghana after being deported last month along with other West African nationals. He claims Ghanaian officials promised to relocate them to better accommodation but instead covertly transported them into neighbouring Togo via a back route.
“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” he said.
The group, which includes three Nigerians, a Liberian, and others, is now sheltering in a hotel in Lomé, the Togolese capital. None of them have valid documentation, and they are relying on hotel staff to help receive financial aid from relatives abroad.
“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man told the BBC. “None of us has family here. We’re just stuck.”
He said life in the Ghanaian military camp was “deplorable,” citing poor water, lack of medical care, and harsh conditions. After complaints to authorities, the group was told they would be moved to a hotel. Instead, they were driven to the Togo border and allegedly coerced under false pretenses.
“When we arrived [at the border], we asked what we were doing there. They told us we needed to sign some paperwork to go to a hotel. We didn’t sign anything,” he said.
The man also shared the personal toll of his deportation. “I have a house in the US where my kids live. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage? My kids can’t see me. It’s just so stressful.”
He is reportedly a member of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, an organisation campaigning for an independent Yoruba nation in south-west Nigeria. He fears persecution if forced to return to Nigeria and claims he had court-ordered protection in the US, which should have prevented his deportation. The US government has not publicly addressed this claim.
The deportee was part of a larger group of West Africans — including citizens of Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo — who were flown from US detention facilities to Ghana last month. Human rights lawyers representing the group have filed legal action against both the US and Ghana, citing violations of international protection and due process.
Ghanaian officials, including Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have defended their decision, saying Ghana accepted the deportees based on “pan-African empathy” and denied receiving any financial compensation.
However, the deal — announced by President John Mahama — has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who are now calling for its suspension until it is properly reviewed and ratified by parliament. Despite the controversy, the government is reportedly preparing to receive an additional 40 deportees.
As the legal battle unfolds and diplomatic pressure mounts, the fate of the stranded deportees in Togo remains uncertain.
News
Nigeria’s 65th Independence: Tinubu’s full speech

NATIONAL BROADCAST BY HIS EXCELLENCY BOLA AHNED TINUBU, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE 65TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY OF NIGERIA, OCTOBER 1, 2025
Fellow Nigerians,
Today marks the 65th anniversary of our great nation’s Independence. As we reflect on the significance of this day and our journey of nationhood since October 1, 1960, when our founding fathers accepted the instruments of self-government from colonial rule, let us remember their sacrifice, devotion, and grand dream of a strong, prosperous, and united Nigeria that will lead Africa and be the beacon of light to the rest of the world.
Our founding heroes and heroines—Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Margaret Ekpo, Anthony Enahoro, Ladoke Akintola, Michael Okpara, Aminu Kano, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, and other nationalists—believed it was Nigeria’s manifest destiny to lead the entire black race as the largest black nation on earth.
For decades, the promise of our Independence has been tested by profound social, economic, and political challenges, and we have survived. While we may not have achieved all the lofty dreams of our forebearers, we have not strayed too far from them. In 65 years since our Independence, we have made tremendous progress in economic growth, social cohesion, and physical development. Our economy has experienced significant growth since 1960.
Although, it is much easier for those whose vocation is to focus solely on what ought to be, we must recognise and celebrate our significant progress. Nigerians today have access to better education and healthcare than in 1960. At Independence, Nigeria had 120 secondary schools with a student population of about 130,000. Available data indicate that, as of year 2024, there were more than 23,000 secondary schools in our country. At Independence, we had only the University of Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology as the two tertiary institutions in Nigeria. By the end of last year, there were 274 universities, 183 Polytechnics, and 236 Colleges of Education in Nigeria, comprising Federal, State, and private institutions. We have experienced a significant surge in growth across every sector of our national life since Independence – in healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, information technology, aviation and defence, among others.
Our country has experienced both the good and the bad times in its 65 years of nationhood, as is normal for every nation and its people. We fought a bitter and avoidable civil war, experienced military dictatorships, and lived through major political crises. In all these, we weathered every storm and overcame every challenge with courage, grit, and uncommon determination. While our system and ties that bind us are sometimes stretched by insidious forces opposed to our values and ways of life, we continue to strive to build a more perfect union where every Nigerian can find better accommodation and find purpose and fulfilment.
Fellow Compatriots, this is the third time I will address you on our independence anniversary since I assumed office as your President on May 29, 2023. In the last 28 months of my administration, like our founding fathers and leaders who came before me, I have committed myself irrevocably to the unfinished nation-building business.
Upon assuming office, our administration inherited a near-collapsed economy caused by decades of fiscal policy distortions and misalignment that had impaired real growth. As a new administration, we faced a simple choice: continue business as usual and watch our nation drift, or embark on a courageous, fundamental reform path. We chose the path of reform. We chose the path of tomorrow over the comfort of today. Less than three years later, the seeds of those difficult but necessary decisions are bearing fruit.
In resetting our country for sustainable growth, we ended the corrupt fuel subsidies and multiple foreign exchange rates that created massive incentives for a rentier economy, benefiting only a tiny minority. At the same time, the masses received little or nothing from our Commonwealth. Our administration has redirected the economy towards a more inclusive path, channelling money to fund education, healthcare, national security, agriculture, and critical economic infrastructure, such as roads, power, broadband, and social investment programmes. These initiatives will generally improve Nigerians’ quality of life. As a result of the tough decisions we made, the Federal and State governments, including Local Governments, now have more resources to take care of the people at the lower level of the ladder, to address our development challenges.
Fellow Nigerians, we are racing against time. We must build the roads we need, repair the ones that have become decrepit, and construct the schools our children will attend and the hospitals that will care for our people. We have to plan for the generations that will come after us. We do not have enough electricity to power our industries and homes today, or the resources to repair our deteriorating roads, build seaports, railroads, and international airports comparable to the best in the world, because we failed to make the necessary investments decades ago. Our administration is setting things right.
I am pleased to report that we have finally turned the corner. The worst is over, I say. Yesterday’s pains are giving way to relief. I salute your endurance, support, and understanding. I will continue to work for you and justify the confidence you reposed in me to steer the ship of our nation to a safe harbour.
Under our leadership, our economy is recovering fast, and the reforms we started over two years ago are delivering tangible results. The second quarter 2025 Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.23%—Nigeria’s fastest pace in four years—and outpaced the 3.4 per cent projected by the International Monetary Fund. Inflation declined to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest level in three years. The administration is working diligently to boost agricultural production and ensure food security, reducing food costs.
In the last two years of our administration, we have achieved 12 remarkable economic milestones as a result of the implementation of our sound fiscal and monetary policies:
We have attained a record-breaking increase in non-oil revenue, achieving the 2025 target by August with over N20 trillion. In September 2025 alone, we raised N3.65 trillion, 411% higher than the amount raised in May 2023.
We have restored Fiscal Health: Our debt service-to-revenue ratio has been significantly reduced from 97% to below 50%. We have paid down the infamous “Ways and Means” advances that threatened our economic stability and triggered inflation. Following the removal of the corrupt petroleum subsidy, we have freed up trillions of Naira for targeted investment in the real economy and social programmes for the most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of government.
We have a stronger foreign Reserve position than three years ago. Our external reserves increased to $42.03 billion this September—the highest since 2019.
Our tax-to-GDP ratio has risen to 13.5 per cent from less than 10 per cent. The ratio is expected to increase further when the new tax law takes effect in January. The tax law is not about increasing the burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding the base to build the Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners.
We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters. We are now selling more to the world than we are buying, a fundamental shift that strengthens our currency and creates jobs at home. Nigeria’s trade surplus increased by 44.3% in Q2 2025 to ₦7.46 trillion ($4.74 billion), the largest in about three years. Goods manufactured in Nigeria and exported jumped by 173%. Non-oil exports, as a component of our export trade, now represent 48 per cent, compared to oil exports, which account for 52 per cent. This signals that we are diversifying our economy and foreign exchange sources outside oil and gas.
Oil production rebounded to 1.68 million barrels per day from barely one million in May 2023. The increase occurred due to improved security, new investments, and better stakeholder management in the Niger Delta. Furthermore, the country has made notable advancements by refining PMS domestically for the first time in four decades. It has also established itself as the continent’s leading exporter of aviation fuel.
The Naira has stabilised from the turbulence and volatility witnessed in 2023 and 2024. The gap between the official rate and the unofficial market has reduced substantially, following FX reforms and fresh capital and remittance inflows. The multiple exchange rates, which fostered corruption and arbitrage, are now part of history. Additionally, our currency rate against the dollar is no longer determined by fluctuations in crude oil prices.
Under the social investment programme to support poor households and vulnerable Nigerians, N330 billion has been disbursed to eight million households, many of whom have received either one or two out of the three tranches of the N25,000 each.
Coal mining recovered dramatically from a 22% decline in Q1 to 57.5% growth in Q2, becoming one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing sectors. The solid mineral sector is now pivotal in our economy, encouraging value-added production of minerals extracted from our soil.
The administration is expanding transport infrastructure across the country, covering rail, roads, airports, and seaports. Rail and water transport grew by over 40% and 27%, respectively. The 284-kilometre Kano-Kastina-Maradi Standard Gauge rail project and the Kaduna-Kano rail line are nearing completion. Work is progressing well on the legacy Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway. The Federal Executive Council recently approved $3 billion to complete the Eastern Rail Project.
The world is taking notice of our efforts. Sovereign credit rating agencies have upgraded their outlook for Nigeria, recognising our improved economic fundamentals. Our stock market is experiencing an unprecedented boom, rising from an all-share index of 55,000 points in May 2003 to 142,000 points as of September 26, 2025.
At its last MPC meeting, the Central Bank slashed interest rates for the first time in five years, expressing confidence in our country’s macroeconomic stability.
SECURITY:
We are working diligently to enhance national security, ensuring our economy experiences improved growth and performance. The officers and men of our armed forces and other security agencies are working tirelessly and making significant sacrifices to keep us safe. They are winning the war against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes. We see their victories in their blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram Terror in North-East, IPOB/ESN terror in South East and banditry and kidnapping. We must continue to celebrate their gallantry and salute their courage on behalf of a grateful nation. Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes.
YOUTH:
I have a message for our young people. You are the future and the greatest assets of this blessed country. You must continue to dream big, innovate, and conquer more territories in your various fields of science, technology, sports, and the art and creative sector. Our administration, through policies and funding, will continue to give you wings to fly sky-high. We created NELFUND to support students with loans for their educational pursuits. Approximately 510,000 students across 36 states and the FCT have benefited from this initiative, covering 228 higher institutions. As of September 10, the total loan disbursed was N99.5 billion, while the upkeep allowance stood at N44.7 billion.
Credicorp, another initiative of our administration, has granted 153,000 Nigerians N30 billion affordable loans for vehicles, solar energy, home upgrades, digital devices, and more.
YouthCred, which I promised last June, is a reality, with tens of thousands of NYSC members now active beneficiaries of consumer credit for resettlement.
Under our Renewed Hope Agenda, we promised to build a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of background, has an equitable opportunity to access a better future—thus, the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme. The Bank of Industry is driving the programme, in collaboration with the African Development Bank, the French Development Agency, and the Islamic Development Bank. This initiative is at the cusp of implementation. Over the last two years, we have collaborated with our partners to launch the programme, supporting our young builders and dreamers in the technology and creative sectors.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
Fellow Nigerians, I have always candidly acknowledged that these reforms have come with some temporary pains. The biting effects of inflation and the rising cost of living remain a significant concern to our government. However, the alternative of allowing our country to descend into economic chaos or bankruptcy was not an option. Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain. Together, we are laying a new foundation cast in concrete, not on quicksand.
The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone, but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities. Let me assure you of our administration’s determination to ensure that the resources we have saved and the stability we have built are channelled into these critical areas. Today, the governors at the state level, and the local government autonomy are yielding more developments.
Therefore, on this 65th Anniversary of Our Independence, my message is hope and a call to action. The federal government will continue to do its part to fix the plumbing in our economy. Now, we must all turn on the taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise, just like the Ministry of Interior has done with our travel passports, by quickening the processing. In this regard, I urge the sub-national entities to join us in nation-building. Let us be a nation of producers, not just consumers. Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes.
Finally, let all hands be on deck. Let us believe, once more, in the boundless potential of our great nation.
With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here.
Happy 65th Independence Anniversary, and may God continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Amen.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Abuja.
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