According to Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, President Tinubu does not have any hidden agenda or ties to any group.
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But he insisted that the president listens to all sides of an issue and then acts decisively based on what’s best for Nigeria.
Addressing the APC National Summit in Abuja on Thursday, Idris made this statement under the topic “Renewed Hope Agenda: The Journey So Far.”
It is imperative that you thoroughly research the President. He will listen to you, but in the end, it’s his decision, so be free to speak your mind. He emphasized the significance of acknowledging that.
Regarding the summit’s topic, Idris stated that President Tinubu is still dedicated to remaking Nigeria via the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he described as an audacious, people-first plan that is reversing the negative effects of past mistakes.
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According to the Minister, “The Renewed Hope Agenda” aims to make a positive difference in Nigerian lives by making bold decisions that would empower the country to reach its full potential. He reflected on how President Tinubu took bold action upon inheriting a country at a crossroads.
“One of the initial actions taken by the president was to eliminate gasoline and foreign exchange subsidies,” Idris elaborated, “which have been a major roadblock to Nigeria’s development and a source of annual losses and waste amounting to billions of dollars.”
“True leadership involves the ability to make tough decisions in the short term but are guaranteed to deliver lasting returns,” the minister told the audience.
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According to Idris, the President’s reforms have had an impact on every area of the economy, from massive infrastructure projects to social investment programs and the revival of the country’s petroleum and mining industries.
A new benchmark for ambition and implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects has been set at the federal level by the additional revenues, according to Idris.
He emphasized four notable roadways that connect towns and economies across the nation; they include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Calabar-Abuja Superhighway, and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Highway. Together, they span over 2,600 km.
He mentioned the Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge Railway as another important project that is promoting regional integration.
Building this crucial corridor is a Renewed Hope Agenda priority because it is an integral part of the plan to modernize the railway between Lagos and Kano. A bold intervention to solve the nation’s housing crisis, stimulate job creation, and revitalize metropolitan areas, the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates Projects were undertaken by the administration in the housing sector.
According to the Minister, the Federal Government is laying 90,000 km of fiber optic cable across the country to back up the expanding digital economy. This massive project is being called “an unprecedented scale of broadband infrastructure” and will help with things like smart governance, attracting digital investments, and enabling secure e-services in areas like education, healthcare, and commerce.
According to Idris, the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) is helping almost 300,000 students in Nigeria, while the new Consumer Credit Scheme is allowing workers to purchase necessities.
“Our military has neutralized and arrested thousands of hostiles and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages,” Idris stated in reference to security. The Navy has received four new boats, and around twenty-five new aircraft have been purchased.
To modernize and deepen agriculture, as well as to ensure inclusive, zonal development, he praised the President for establishing the Ministry of Livestock Development and Regional Development Commissions across the six geopolitical zones. According to the minister, the Renewed Hope Agenda takes a person-centered and comprehensive approach.
“At the other end of every program and policy of the Tinubu administration is an ordinary Nigerian whose life is being positively impacted. It’s a Nigerian whose food prices are declining. It’s a Nigerian whose transportation is cheaper through CNG.
It’s a Nigerian whose access to on-grid or off-grid electricity is improved through one of the administration’s many power initiatives. It’s a Nigerian whose son or daughter can attend university because of NELFUND,” he said.
Idris brought attention to the newly passed Renewed Hope Nigeria First policy, which requires all federal agencies to prioritize purchasing goods, services, and expertise from Nigeria wherever possible.
The end goal, he explained, is to shield the Nigerian economy from worldwide shocks and expedite industrialization through domestic production. “This is historically unprecedented. Thank you for this very patriotic strategy and for establishing the groundwork for Nigeria’s economic revival, Mr. President.