News Update
President Bola Tinubu at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali pledged that a second term for him would mean “more work,” and that his government would press ahead with tough economic changes aimed at stabilising Nigeria and safeguarding the future for younger generations.
“Do more work. More challenges are there. The world won’t wait for anybody. You have to continue to reset and rethink, challenge the intellectual curiosity of you as a government,” Tinubu said when asked what he would prioritise if re-elected.
He described his governing philosophy as one that values decisive action. “The philosophy I came with in governance is believing that the hallmark of a transformative leader is the ability to take decisions, do what you’ll do, at the time it has to be done, on behalf of the people,” he added.
Defending controversial steps such as fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification, the President argued they were painful but necessary to prevent economic collapse and avoid mortgaging the future.
“It is a fake life to think you can, in a global economy, continue the subsidy that is wasteful. It’s an encouragement to falsification of papers, smuggling, and that is a very critical situation for the country,” he said.
Tinubu noted that under the old system many states could not meet basic obligations: “Of the 36 states, 27 of them were unable to pay the salaries of the workers. Where is the money? You are oil producing, you are earning, you are given fuel, you have no refinery that is functional. It is not possible to continue that trend.”
He compared the short-term pain of reform to childbirth, saying temporary hardship can yield lasting benefits: “It is difficult, it is painful, but it is just like the human reproduction process. A woman carries a pregnancy, endures the pain of labour, and has a very big smile when she sees a live child.”
On taxation, Tinubu argued citizens must accept the burden of paying taxes if they want modern infrastructure and social services, calling tax compliance a civic duty.
“Nobody wants to pay taxes ordinarily. Taxation is not friendly to the wealthy, to the middle class, and to the poor. Every human being expects development, but the question they don’t answer is, how do you pay for it?” he asked. “You want a very good highway, but you don’t want it to go through your land. You want a good hospital and don’t want to pay taxes. How do you care for the vulnerable? How do you protect the future of the children?” He added, “a citizen that pays taxes is a citizen, whether corporate or individual.”
Tinubu pointed to what he called early signs of progress since the reforms: improved stability and predictability in the economy and the Naira, which he said helps households and businesses plan better. “Today there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel; the economy is stable, the Naira is stable, predictable, planners can do a reasonable budget, they can plan their lives well,” he said.
President Tinubu also highlighted targeted social measures, noting direct cash transfers to poor households and education support for indigent students. “For those students ordinarily who would stay out of school because their parents cannot afford school fees, they are now in school. I’m even giving them allowances and upkeeps for their school,” the President said.
On industrial strategy, Tinubu said the government’s role was to support businesses that create jobs and expand domestic production rather than simply protect them. He named the Dangote Refinery and the BUA Group as firms that merit backing and described a recent policy allowing the sale of crude to domestic refineries in Naira to ease operations.
“What should my government do? Support him, encourage him,” he said of the Dangote Refinery. “You don’t have to go through letter of credit and bureaucracy and make foreign exchange difficult for him. Give it to him in Naira.”
Defending the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, Tinubu framed the project as national integration that will unlock tourism, investment, and link the eastern corridor to Lagos. “My philosophy is Nigeria first,” he said, adding that the use of locally produced cement and steel for the road is deliberate to boost domestic industry.
On unity and foreign relations, the President urged Nigerians to see diversity as strength and reiterated the need for pragmatic regional and global partnerships to handle security challenges.
“All of us together as Nigerians must be patriotic to understand that you have no control where you are born. Your parents could be Igbo, my parents could be Yoruba, you have no control of that. Where you find yourself is your home. This country is ours. We must build it together,” he said.
“Security challenges will always be there. Those are things you cannot do alone. You can’t operate the world in isolation,” he added, stressing Nigeria’s continuing leadership in West Africa: “In ECOWAS, Nigeria is a big brother; in Africa, we are the fat lady. We must sing the tune, we must sing the right tune for others to pay attention to.”
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Responding to claims that Nigeria had lost diplomatic relevance, Tinubu dismissed them and reiterated the country’s ongoing role in regional stability and cooperation. “Nigeria is still there. Collaboration with trainings and support. Yes, challenges will always be there; there are troublemakers all over,” he said. “But you have to just be focused and be alert. Nigeria is ready.”