President Bola Ahmed Tinubu used his 66th Independence Day address to declare that Nigeria has moved from economic correction to a drive for “shared and widespread prosperity,” while singling out the armed forces and warning against a return to fuel subsidies.
Speaking under the theme “From Reforms to Prosperity,” the president said the country had reached a turning point. “The emergency treatment is over,” he said. “The foundation has been repaired.”
The speech’s most direct reference to security was a tribute to the military and other services. Tinubu said the nation was grateful to the men and women of the Armed Forces and security services “who place themselves in harm’s way” so that others “may live in peace.”
He listed insecurity among the hardships Nigerians have endured, alongside war, military rule, economic crises and political upheaval. He did not announce new security measures, name specific threats or regions, or give casualty or operational figures.
The president tied safety to the economy in his vision for farmers. He said prosperity means a Nigeria in which the farmer “can cultivate his land safely,” produce more at lower cost and earn a decent return. The remark links rural security to food prices, though he did not say how farm safety would be improved.
He also said oil theft is down, a claim with security and revenue implications, but no figures or enforcement details were given.
On the economy, Tinubu said growth exceeded 4 per cent this year, driven by both oil and non-oil sectors. He said inflation has fallen substantially from its peak, foreign reserves have been rebuilt and the foreign exchange market has stabilised.
He added that 2025 saw Nigeria’s highest-ever non-oil export revenue, “exceeding $6 billion,” and that foreign direct investment “continues to rise each year.”
Tinubu likened the pre-2023 economy to a cancer patient who chooses morphine over treatment. “For too long, Nigeria’s leaders chose morphine,” he said. He said his administration chose “to excise the cancer,” and he warned that “regressive voices” want a return to “addictive subsidies.” He urged Nigerians to “resist their siren song.”
The president said his priority is lowering the cost of living by cutting the cost of producing and moving goods. He promised to expand irrigation, mechanisation, storage and transport, and to complete roads, railways and ports linking farms to markets. He pledged to use Nigeria’s gas to power new industries, revive factories and extend digital connectivity, and said he wants young Nigerians “building unicorns” at home.
He cited the National Social Register, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and CREDICORP consumer credit as bridges toward prosperity. He said his government has paid salaries and pensions on time and in full since 2023.
He acknowledged that some families still struggle for food, school fees and medical bills. “We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations,” he said, but added: “Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently. We will defeat it.”
Closing the address, Tinubu said Nigeria has “passed through our own Red Sea” and urged citizens not to look back. “Our destination is in sight,” he said.
