Three years ago, Nigerians handed President Bola Tinubu the keys to lead the nation during turbulent times. He accepted the task knowing the weight of the challenges that lay ahead.
On Thursday, marking his third anniversary in office, Tinubu addressed citizens as both their president and fellow Nigerian. He acknowledged the hardships families endured over the past three years.
When his administration took the oath, the economy was in serious trouble. Fiscal pressures mounted while fuel subsidies drained the treasury at alarming rates.
Nigeria spent N18.4 billion daily on petrol subsidies. That amounted to over N4 trillion in 2022 alone, Tinubu noted.
Money that could have built roads, hospitals, and schools vanished into subsidies instead. The president said multiple exchange rate windows created massive economic distortions.
Nigeria lost more than N8 trillion over three years to speculation and rent-seeking activities. These figures painted a grim picture of national decline.
Action became unavoidable. Tinubu said leadership required courage when making unpopular but necessary decisions.
"The easy choices would have been politically convenient," he told the nation. But he insisted that refusing reform would have pushed Nigeria toward total fiscal collapse.
His administration chose reform instead. It chose long-term recovery over short-term comfort.
But reform came with pain. Families struggled as living costs jumped.
Young job seekers felt the pinch hardest.
Yet Tinubu insisted the sacrifice hasn't been wasted. He declared that Nigeria has now stabilised and begun moving forward again.
Evidence of progress is visible across the country, according to him. Public finances are strengthening.
States and local governments now have more resources to spend on their people. Investor confidence is climbing steadily.
Nigeria's stock market tells the success story most clearly. The All Share Index jumped from 53,000 in 2023 to 250,000 this year.
Market capitalisation exploded from N30 trillion to N160 trillion. Companies are posting record profits and paying shareholders dividends.
Critical infrastructure projects are advancing faster than ever before. Over 2,700 kilometres of highways are under construction or rehabilitation nationwide.
Major projects include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway. The Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and East-West Road are also progressing.
Rural access roads are receiving attention too. Many sections are already complete or nearly finished.
Tinubu said these projects will improve transportation and connect previously isolated communities. Better connectivity means economic opportunities for millions.
He reminded Nigerians that the decisions made three years ago were difficult. But they were necessary to prevent national disaster.
The president expressed deep awareness of ongoing struggles. Yet he asked citizens to trust that better days are arriving.
His message was clear: sacrifice today builds prosperity tomorrow. Nigeria, he insisted, is finally on the right path forward.
