On Tuesday in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, highlighted the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking to journalists, Idris focused on the significant progress made in fiscal, macroeconomic, and legislative reforms.
He noted that the removal of fuel subsidies had helped prevent leakages amounting to hundreds of billions of Naira annually.
Idris also mentioned that several measures, including the introduction of the Electronic Foreign Exchange Matching System, had resulted in unprecedented forex stability.
“Reforms in the oil and gas sector have made Nigeria the most attractive investment destination in Africa, attracting over $5 billion in signed investment commitments,” he said.
He also pointed out that President Tinubu signed the 2024 Electricity Act into law, which now provides a framework for states to implement their own regulated electricity markets.
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In July 2024, the Tinubu administration saw a landmark Supreme Court ruling that granted local governments unprecedented financial autonomy, according to Idris.
On targeted interventions, the minister explained that the Students Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed N32.8 billion to over 169,000 students, including N20 billion for school fees and N12.8 billion for upkeep.
Idris added that President Tinubu had signed bills to establish development commissions for the North-Central, South-East, and North-West Zones, as well as creating the Federal University of Environmental Technology in Ogoniland and the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta.
The minister also highlighted initiatives by the National Health Insurance Authority, introducing subsidies for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, with each patient receiving up to N400,000 in support.
He noted that a year ago, Tinubu approved the upgrade of key health infrastructure and equipment in six geo-political zones, including the establishment of oncology and nuclear medicine centers in teaching hospitals.
Idris reported that the government cleared a backlog of over 200,000 international passports within three weeks in 2024.
On the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector, he said the Tinubu administration invested over $450 million in developing Nigeria’s CNG value chain through the Presidential CNG Initiative, with over 150 Conversion Centres across the country.
The minister also mentioned the approval of the National Values Charter by the Federal Executive Council in 2024, which he said would initiate a shift in national attitudes and values.
The government is focused on restructuring the social contract, empowering citizens to contribute their best to the country while demanding the best in return.
In infrastructure, Idris described Nigeria as a “vast construction site,” with the Federal Executive Council approving over N2.5 trillion for road infrastructure projects.
He also highlighted significant progress in defense, security, and food security, reporting that in 2024, Nigerian security forces neutralized over 8,000 terrorists and bandits, arrested 11,600, and recovered more than 10,000 weapons.
Idris emphasized that the Ministry of Livestock Development is working to tap into multi-billion-dollar agricultural opportunities, aimed at transforming rural communities and empowering millions of Nigerians.
He concluded by noting that the country now has greater fiscal flexibility and a more reformed, less burdensome tax regime.
