The Federal Government, FG, has called for national unity and commitment under the theme “All Hands On Deck” as Nigeria prepares to celebrate its 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the call during a press conference in Abuja.
He stated that the milestone encourages the nation to “take stock of our journey in nationhood, to weigh the present, and to rally around a renewed purpose.”
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Idris described the 65th anniversary symbolised by the sapphire, as reflecting the core Nigerian values of “loyalty, trust, truth, nobility, sincerity, beauty and wisdom.”
The minister emphasised that President Bola Tinubu is a “committed, courageous and visionary leader dismantling stubborn cogs in the wheel of our national progress.”
He pointed to the administration’s Eight Priority Areas under the Renewed Hope Agenda as laying the foundation for national renewal.
Idris provided evidence of growing economic stability, stating, “Our trade surplus continues to grow, with an increasing share of contributions from the non-oil sector.
“Declining inflation, a strengthening currency, falling food prices, growing external reserves—all of these are more eloquent testament that we are on the right track.”
He announced that the government will begin implementing the Tax Acts quartet in January 2026, which is designed to expand the revenue base, simplify tax collection, and lessen the burden on citizens.
The minister highlighted several unprecedented investments being made with increased revenue generated from the reforms.
In the education sector, he noted that more than 500,000 tertiary institution students are already benefitting from the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which covers both tuition and upkeep fees paid for by the FG—something he described as unprecedented in the nation’s history.
On infrastructure, he explained that the administration is driving a road and transport infrastructure revolution, with flagship projects including the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
In the energy sector, the minister said the government had revived the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant and committed to closing the metering gap by 2027 through the delivery of 7 million smart meters under the Presidential Metering Initiative.
He further disclosed that Nigeria is implementing the $750 million World Bank-supported Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up (DARES) project to provide off-grid electricity to more than 17.5 million Nigerians.
Speaking on oil and gas, he revealed that oil production is steadily moving closer to the OPEC quota, while losses have dropped to a 16-year low.
He added that new deepwater exploration investments have surpassed $5 billion.
On healthcare, the minister announced that more than 1,000 primary healthcare centres have been rehabilitated, while three advanced oncology centres have been commissioned and another three are nearing completion, significantly boosting the country’s health infrastructure.
The minister pushed back on claims of imbalanced development, arguing that the distribution of capital projects under Tinubu is “equitable. No region is taking a back seat.”
He added that state governments now receive “multiples of the revenue they used to get” from the Federation Account due to the oil subsidy removal, enabling subnational development.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s history, Idris affirmed that the nation has “emerged as a rallying point for the entire Black race across the globe”, playing a pioneering role in the liberation and independence of several African nations.
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He highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing contributions to regional security through ECOWAS and its assistance to other countries via the Technical Aid Corps.
The minister acknowledged the patience and sacrifices of Nigerians over the past two and a half years, stating that the time has come “for the entire country to reap the fruit of the seeds of reform that have been painstakingly planted.”
