Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris says the economic reforms set in motion by President Bola Tinubu are laying the foundation for long-term national prosperity and development.
The Information Minister disclosed this while receiving the leadership of the APC Forum of Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly (FOPSHA) led by its Chairman, Senator Wasiu Esinlokun on a courtesy visit in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
He noted that the Tinubu administration has taken bold decisions that previous governments were unwilling to implement. “The removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market have strengthened public finances and created room for increased investment in infrastructure, education and other critical sectors.
“Only President Bola Tinubu has the courage, the vision and the will to scrap fuel subsidy. It was a difficult decision, but one that had been inevitable after decades of delay. “There is fiscal space for governments at all levels to deliver services to the people today,” Idris said.
He said that increased revenues had allowed state governments to meet their salary obligations and to undertake capital projects, noting that many states that had been in financial trouble previously were now in a better fiscal position.
The Minister said those who had been members of state legislatures were in a good position to communicate government policies due to their closeness to the people at the grassroots.
“I am challenging the members of the Forum to use their experience and their grassroots outreach to intensify efforts to explain the policies and programmes of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to Nigerians at the grassroots.
“We want you to go down to the grassroots and tell the people about these policies and programmes of government and how they can help to deliver the Nigeria. “People need to understand better what these reforms are doing and how they are going to benefit the country in the end,” he said.
Idris also cited improvements in key economic indicators, saying Nigeria’s foreign reserves had crossed the $50 billion mark, while the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth had surpassed four per cent.
“For the first time in many years we have crossed the $50 billion mark in our foreign reserves and our economy is growing at over four per cent. “These are indications that the reforms are beginning to take effect,” he disclosed.
The Minister disclosed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had improved access to tertiary education, stating that over one million students had been retained in school through the initiative.
He also cited ongoing infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline and railway modernisation as evidence of the administration’s commitment to stimulating economic growth and improving living standards.
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“Reforms are never easy; they bring challenges and sacrifices, but when the benefits begin to manifest, Nigerians will appreciate why these hard decisions had to be taken,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Forum of Past and Present Scribes of the Holy Spirit (FOPSHA), Senator Wasiu Esinlokun, said the forum was committed to mobilising political support for President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections, describing the administration’s reforms as necessary to reposition Nigeria’s economy.
“Our first assignment is to contribute immensely to the success of APC and the re-election of President Bola Tinubu. That is the reason for our coming here to seek the cooperation and support of the Ministry of Information,” he said.
He backed the economic policies of the administration, which he described as bold interventions that saved the country from a deepening fiscal crisis.
“When President Bola Tinubu took over the mantle of leadership, Nigeria was at a very critical stage. “Many states could barely pay salaries, and the fuel subsidy was no longer sustainable, and it was making a few people rich at the expense of the majority,” Esinlokun said.
He said the removal of the fuel subsidy has significantly increased the allocations to the states, giving them more capacity to execute development projects and improve public services.
“What we are witnessing now is that many states are deriving a lot more from the Federation Account than before. “We expect that those resources are used judiciously for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
Esinlokun also lauded the reforms introduced by the administration in the foreign exchange market, education financing and infrastructure development, saying they showed a clear commitment to reposition the country’s economy.
“The government has been focused on and investing in infrastructure, education and economic reforms. These are long-term policies that will strengthen the Nigerian economy. “I am confident that the reforms will ensure sustainable economic growth and improve the welfare of Nigerians in the years ahead,” he said.
The Forum re-affirmed its commitment to mobilize grassroots support for the Renewed Hope Agenda through continuous engagement with Nigerians across the country.
