2024: Nigerians commend Tinubu on Renewed Hope Agenda, pray for better 2025
…He’s building a country that works for all citizens’
…Over 300, 000 Nigerians have so far benefitted students’ loan – Don
‘… President correcting the missteps of the past’
Upon his victory at the 2023 presidential poll and subsequent inauguration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unveiled the core focus areas of his administration to the Nigerian people which he said are the eight-point priority areas of his administration, popularly referred to as the Renewed Hope Agenda. BENJAMIN SAMSON in this report takes a look at its impacts on Nigerians in the fading year and what informed Nigerians are saying about the Agenda.
The Agenda revolves around job-creation, education and health care improvements, poverty reduction, and ensuring opportunities for success for all Nigerians. The eight key priority areas as outlined by the president are: Reform the economy to deliver sustained, inclusive growth; strengthen national security for peace and prosperity; boost agriculture to achieve food security, and unlock energy and natural resources for sustainable development.
Others are: Enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth; focus on education, health, and social investment as essential pillars of development; accelerate diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing & innovation, and Improve governance for effective service delivery.
Reactions
In a chat with this reporter, a Senatorial aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) in the 2023 elections, Abubakar Abdullahi, sympathised with Nigerians over the current economic hardships occasioned by what he called “unavoidable government policy choices.”
He urged Nigerians to be resolute “in these trying moments,” adding that President Tinubu was committed to building a strong and proud country that works for the good of all citizens.
He said, “Like several other nations, we are currently grappling with diverse challenges, but we remain resolute in our inalienable destiny to build a strong and proud country that works for the good of all citizens irrespective of status, tribe, religion and creed.
“Let me assure you that this administration is committed to its promise of working sacrificially to deliver the dividends of democracy to every Nigerian citizen. This government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very much aware of and deeply sympathises with all Nigerians over the economic conditions we are passing through.
“These have been occasioned by unavoidable policy choices, including the removal of fuel subsidies, that his administration has had to make.
“Notwithstanding the daunting challenges, ceaseless efforts are being made to cushion the immediate impact and to create new opportunities on the short, medium and long-term basis, through diligent implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“These policies and programmes are being implemented for long-term solutions to these problems and I assure us all that in no distant time, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the trajectory of our socio-economic development would soar higher in the positive territory.”
The CNG initiative
The Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Joseph Osanipin, highlighted some accomplishments of the Tinubu administration which, according to him, have positively impacted Nigerians.
He said President Tinubu followed through with his promises on easing transportation difficulties Nigerians experienced with the establishment of the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG) and the launch of the first phase of buses, powered by hybrid Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
According to him, this is work in progress because the Presidential Initiative is designed to expand across all geo-political zones of the country.
He said, “The government has also commissioned the first retrofitted CNG train head for the Abuja-Kaduna track. This is intended to cut the cost of travel by up to fifty percent when fully operational. In order to encourage conversion to CNG-powered land transportation, the government has also commenced the distribution of CNG conversion kits at no cost to Nigerians.
“The benefits of the CNG transport system to Nigerians are huge reduction in costs. The Presidential Initiative on CNG marked its first year of implementation recently, with the number of vehicle conversion centers in the country rising from fewer than 10 to more than 120.
“The goal is to make CNG a fuel of choice for private and commercial transportation in Nigeria, bringing down costs by as much as 50 to 60 percent. We are already seeing enthusiastic uptake of the initiative, and the government is supporting this by way of fiscal incentives and subsidised conversions.”
Education sector
Speaking on the policies of President Tinubu on education, an associate professor of Development Communication, Bright Etekamba, said on so many fronts, the outgoing year has brought significant policy and legislative milestones that are helping to cement the very foundations of the president’s grand vision for Nigeria.
He said, “Take the examples of the Students Loan Fund and the Consumer Credit Corporation, two institutions targeted at putting more resources in the pockets of the Nigerian people, empowering them to turn their dreams into opportunities.
“With the Students Loan Fund, we are seeing, for the first time in decades, Nigerian students at tertiary level, getting targeted federal assistance to pursue their academic ambitions, through long-term loans (and stipends) that are designed to not be burdensome in any way. In less than one year, more than 300, 000 Nigerian students have already benefitted.
“The Nigerian Students Loan Fund initiative of the Tinubu administration has disbursed the sum of N2.5 billion to over 22,120 beneficiaries across the nation’s higher institutions. This is a welcome relief for parents and an opportunity to access education by indigent students.
“The young people of Nigeria now have a clearer path to sustainable tertiary education through the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act 2024, which has established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Complementing this is the new Consumer Credit Corporation, established to guarantee access to low-cost and flexible consumer credit.”
Food security
On the rising prices of food items, a member of the Presidential Initiative on Livestock Reform, Danasebe Maiyaki, said the government has reduced tariffs on importation of certain categories of food in order to crash prices.
“One of the major issues facing Nigerians is rising food prices. To bolster food security, availability and ensure affordability of food, the government has removed tariffs on the importation of certain categories of food. In addition, the government has distributed fertilizers, farm inputs and other critical items to boost dry season food production,” he said.
He praised President Tinubu’s establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development as a game-changing move to unlock the sector’s vast potential and maximise its value-chains.
“Most recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took a bold and transformative step by establishing and operationalising a dedicated Ministry for Livestock Development. This strategic move underscores the administration’s recognition of the immense potential within the livestock sector, often referred to as an untapped gold mine.
“Food security is at the core of the nation’s national security, survival, stability and sovereignty; it is in realisation of this that President Tinubu, upon assumption of office, renamed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“The current administration is committed to tackling the multifaceted challenges hindering self-sufficiency in food production, leveraging the nation’s vast arable land, favorable climate, and youthful population.
“Nigeria, blessed with vast arable land, favourable climatic conditions, and a youthful population, has the potential to be a global agricultural powerhouse. Yet, we face significant challenges in attaining affordability and self-sufficiency in food production. This on-going challenge is what has informed the special attention that the president is paying to this very important sector, which happens to be the biggest employer of labour in the country,” he said.
He highlighted that early in his administration, President Tinubu launched three critical agricultural interventions – declaring a State of Emergency on food insecurity; initiating a food security and sustainability intervention project, and cracking down on hoarders, smugglers, and saboteurs to ensure affordability, availability, and accessibility of essential commodities.
“Nigeria’s path to food security is not insurmountable, particularly through our collective resolve; we can transform our nation into a land of abundance, where no Nigerian goes to bed hungry,” he said further.
Socio-economics
Speaking on the socio-economic front, a political economist, Dr. Njamenze Orbih, hailed the president for his giant strides despite the global economic recession.
He said, “Undoubtedly, one of the significant setbacks to rural socio-economic development in Nigeria has been the absence of direct fiscal control by elected local government administrations.
“In a landmark move, President Tinubu has taken a decisive step toward implementing local government autonomy by getting a verdict from the Supreme Court. This action demonstrates his administration’s commitment to a deep-rooted restructuring of the country, enhancing governance and development at the grassroots level, and promoting effectiveness and accountability in local governance.
“In addition, a lot of work is going towards ensuring macroeconomic stability, stabilising the foreign exchange regime, reforming the tax system to make it more efficient, and less burdensome on Nigerians, repositioning our oil and gas sector to attract new investment, and prioritising the diversification and expansion of government revenues.
“Under the visionary leadership of President Tinubu, we have initiated transformative policies and reforms aimed at correcting the missteps of the past and repositioning Nigeria as an economic superpower in the near future.
“Despite the global economic headwinds and the transitional pains accompanying some of the reforms, the president has remained focused in his efforts towards reviving our economy and returning the country to the path of prosperity and sustainable growth.”
Employment generation
Likewise, an IT expert and chief executive officer of Falcon Eye Network, Reni Tyioda, said initiative by the present administration to create jobs for youth in the digital economy sector is yielding results.
He said, “The federal government has set up the structures to create three million jobs for the Nigerian youth through the 3Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme. The initiative, being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology, is an incubator for the education and skills desired to enhance the capacity and value of the youths in national security intelligence.
“The 3MTT Programme is an affirmation of President Tinubu’s vision of factoring youth development into the overall national development strategy. To lay a formidable framework towards achieving this, the administration is also prioritising the economic security of Nigerian youths, towards building a more secure and prosperous country.”
Commendations
Meanwhile, a foremost entrepreneur and president of the Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has commended President Tinubu for the positive impact of the Naira for crude swap deal on the Nigerian economy, which has led to reduction in prices of petroleum products in the country.
To provide succour to Nigerians, Dangote recently reduced the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N970 to N899.50 at its Refinery loading gantry and provided generous credit terms to marketers.
“To ensure that this price reduction gets to the end consumer, we have signed a partnership with MRS to sell petrol from its retail outlets nationwide at N935 per litre” he said.
In his statement, he called on other oil marketers such as the NNPC Retail and all other marketers “to work with us to ensure that Nigerians enjoy high-quality petrol at discounted prices.”
“The Dangote Refinery is for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians. We will therefore continue to work with various value-chain players to deliver high quality petrol at cheaper prices. Our aim is for all Nigerians to have ready access to high quality petroleum products that are good for their vehicles, good for their health, and good for their pockets,” the statement read in part.
Dangote thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support and the government for creating an enabling environment for the domestic refining industry.
Similarly, travellers have thumbed up President Tinubu’s 50 per cent subsidised holiday transport services across the country.
The initiative which was officially flagged off by the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali, is aimed at ensuring seamless travel for citizens for the festive season, covers both road and rail operations and is scheduled to run from December 24, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
Blueprint Weekend observed that travellers were seen at the Eagles Square in Abuja boarding the transport services to their various destinations after being officially flagged off by the Minister of Transportation, Sen. Said Ahmed Alkali.
A traveller, Madam Juliet Okoli, boarding the transport service to Lagos state, said the initiative is commendable considering the economy cash crunch in the country.
“I am happy that I can travel to Lagos at a cheaper rate to spend the Christmas celebration with my family and I urged the federal government to do more for Nigerians by reducing the fuel price to as low as N300 to N400,” she said.
Another traveller, Joseph Akor, who couldn’t hold his excitement, commended the federal government for the transport service initiative and urged the transport unions to make it accessible for all Nigerians.
