President Bola Tinubu has set his sights on building a “secure, competitive, and prosperous Nigeria” in 2026, following what the Federal Government described as a year of consolidating reforms and strengthening national foundations.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Monday while briefing journalists at the end-of-year press conference held in Abuja.
According to him, 2025 marked a period of stabilisation across key sectors, while 2026 would focus on translating those gains into lasting national growth and security.
“The journey of 2025 was one of reinforcing and strengthening foundations. The mission of 2026 is to raise the edifice of a secure, competitive, and prosperous Nigeria upon it,” Idris said.
The minister, who spoke on the directive of President Tinubu, began by announcing the release of abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, describing it as a major security success.
Reviewing the administration’s 2025 scorecard, Idris highlighted economic improvements, including “Gross Domestic Product growth of 3.98 per cent in the third quarter of the year,” a steady decline in inflation, strengthened “external reserves of about $44.56bn, and a trade surplus of N6.69tn.”
He also cited record achievements in the power sector, infrastructure financing, agriculture, youth empowerment and investor confidence, noting that Nigeria exited the Financial Action Task Force Grey List and recorded a massively oversubscribed Eurobond issuance.
On security, Idris said the FG declared a nationwide security emergency in 2025, laying the groundwork for increased recruitment into the Armed Forces and Police, as well as the deployment of forest guards nationwide.
“Let me be clear about what this means: That henceforth, any armed group that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, or terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist organisation. The era of ambiguous nomenclature is over!” he declared.
Explaining further, the minister said, “The Nigeria Education Loan Fund has now supported over 788,000 Nigerian students with interest-free loans and stipends amounting to over 150 billion Naira.
“In 2026, our newly appointed Ambassadors will take up their posts in their countries of assignment, strengthening our bilateral relations and advancing our visibility and strategic engagements in the global community.”
Looking ahead to 2026, the minister said Tinubu’s proposed N58.18trn budget underscored the administration’s priorities, with defence and security receiving the largest single allocation of N5.41trn.
He explained that the budget, tagged “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity,” was designed to deepen reforms, protect lives and property, and unlock economic competitiveness.
“The temporary pains of reform are yielding to permanent gains. President Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria is big, his strategy unambiguous, and his resolve unshakeable,” Idris said.
He added that with reforms maturing and institutions strengthening, Nigeria was positioning itself as a confident global player and a country ready for sustained growth.
“This is the Nigeria we are building together. A Nigeria, truly on the move,” the minister said.
Tinubu’s administration assumed office amid significant economic challenges, including high inflation, foreign exchange volatility, and rising debt levels.
The government has implemented fiscal, monetary, and subsidy reforms, which it describes as measures aimed at stabilising the economy and supporting long-term growth.
Security has also been highlighted as a government priority.
The administration has identified kidnapping, banditry, and insurgency as issues affecting economic activity, food production and internal movement.
Officials have stated that improving security is important for economic growth, job creation, and national stability, and have positioned it as a key focus of the 2026 policy agenda.
Opposition parties have criticised the Tinubu administration’s claims of economic stability and improved security, insisting that the government’s assessment does not reflect conditions on the ground.
Read the full article here
