President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to embrace productivity, innovation and enterprise, declaring that the country must move from being a nation of consumers to one of producers.
Delivering his national broadcast on Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary, Tinubu said collective effort was required to reposition the nation on the global stage.
“Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce. Let us patronise Made-in-Nigeria goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes,” he told citizens.
The President commended ministries that have quickened reforms — citing the Interior Ministry’s efforts in improving passport processing — and urged state governments to partner with the federal administration in driving national growth.
He acknowledged that his administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies, had imposed “temporary pains” but argued that the alternative would have been economic collapse.
“Allowing Nigeria to descend into chaos or bankruptcy was not an option,” Tinubu said, insisting that the reforms would lay the foundation for a stronger, more self-reliant economy.
The anniversary speech reinforced his broader message of “all hands on deck” as the nation confronts economic challenges and seeks to restore investor confidence.
