President Bola Tinubu has promised not to betray the confidence Nigerians have placed in him, arguing that the economic reforms implemented by his administration are intended to create a more robust and prosperous future for the nation.
President Tinubu, speaking through Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the inauguration of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement executives on Thursday, said the grassroots mobilization initiative would help promote the Renewed Hope agenda nationwide.
In his inaugural address on May 29, 2023, the president declared that the “subsidy is gone,” formally ending Nigeria’s petrol subsidy regime.
The announcement, alongside other key reforms such as the unification of the foreign exchange market, led to a significant increase in fuel prices, higher transportation costs, and a rise in the cost of goods and services nationwide.
More than three years later, the APC-led federal government has maintained that the funds saved from the subsidy removal have been invested in programs designed to improve citizens’ welfare and drive national development, while insisting that its broader economic reforms are beginning to produce positive outcomes.
Akpabio said Tinubu’s reforms had improved Nigeria’s economy, noting that monthly allocations to the three tiers of government had risen from less than N700bn to over N2tn.
Speaking before political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society groups, and other stakeholders, the president said his administration remained committed to strengthening the country despite the tough policy decisions taken since he assumed office.
“I am delighted to be here, to see what Nigerians are doing from their hearts for the development of the nation. I can see people interested in the future of the country,” the president said.
He added, “I am determined never to betray the trust of Nigerians and the vision of ensuring a better Nigeria.”
He stated, “Every great nation is built one citizen at a time, like a building block, and one community at a time. Before there are crowds, there are households. Before there are victories at the ballot boxes, there are competitions at the doorsteps of every home.
“A movement that goes from door to door must do more than just seek support from every door it touches. It must carry truth, inspire confidence, listen to the people and household owners, and return to those same doors to tell them about the dividends of good governance after the goods. That is how democracies endure.
“The theme before us today speaks to one of the oldest truths in nation-building: every generation must decide whether it will choose the comfort of the familiar or the courage and discomfort of embracing necessary changes.
“Nations do not become great because they avoid difficult decisions. They become great because they confront difficulties with wisdom, patience, and patriotism.
“President Tinubu has repeatedly reminded us that reform is not an event but a journey. The purpose of reform is not to make life difficult for the people, but to lay the foundation upon which future generations can build lives of greater dignity, prosperity, opportunities, and lasting progress. Lasting progress is rarely achieved without temporary sacrifice.”
