On Tuesday morning, President Bola Tinubu in a nationwide Independence Day broadcast, unfolded some of the achievements of his administration while also revealing more plans to move the country forward.
Below are 15 key takeaways from Tinubu’s speech.
1.Tinubu said he was aware of the current struggles of many Nigerians with rising living costs and the search for meaningful employment. He assured that the voices of Nigerians were being heard.
2. The President said his administration was committed “to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens” while pleading with Nigerians to be patient “as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
3. Tinubu claimed that his administration was winning the war on terror and banditry. He affirmed that the target remained to eliminate all the threats of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and the scourge of all forms of violent extremism.
4. The President particularly said the Federal Government had within one year, eliminated Boko Haram and bandit commanders faster than ever. He said: “As of the last count, over 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders have been eliminated by our gallant troops in the Northeast, Northwest, and some other parts of the country”.
5. He said that the government had started to respond to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country. He said a Disaster Relief Fund to mobilise private and public sector funds to help respond faster to emergencies, had been approved. He also said government had ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country to avert future disasters.
6. Tinubu said the reforms embarked upon by his administration attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in the last year.
7. He stated that his administration was committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of regulatory processes.
8.He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria for its more disciplined approach to monetary policy management that had ensured stability and predictability in the country’s foreign exchange market.
9. He said his administration inherited a foreign reserve of over $33 billion 16 months ago and had managed keep it at $37 billion
The President said his administration had paid back the inherited forex backlog of $7 billion.
10. He also said the government had cleared the ways and means debt of over N30 trillion and had reduced the debt service ratio from 97 per cent to 68 per cent.
11. Tinubu said the Federal Executive Council had approved the Economic Stabilisation Bills, would be transmitted to the National Assembly.
12. He commended the state governors who had embraced the Federal Government’s agricultural production programme. He urged other states to join the FG in investing in mechanised farming.
13. He said the energy transition programme was on course. He said FG was expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. He said FG was ready to assist the 36 states and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
14. He said that the FG would convene a 30-day youth confab to “unite young people nationwide to collaboratively develop solutions to issues such as education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice”. He said the modalities of this confab and selection of delegates would be designed in close consultation with young people through their representatives.
15. He said that the Senate President and the Chief Justice of the Federation had been conferred with the honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). He also said the Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives had been given the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), while the Deputy Speaker of the House had been awarded Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) .
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