In a New Year’s address broadcast nationwide, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared 2026 as a pivotal year for Nigeria’s economic takeoff, vowing to build on 2025’s fiscal reforms to deliver lower inflation, stronger growth, and broader prosperity, with the speech—delivered amid ongoing debates over tax policies and economic hardships—emphasizing unity and shared responsibility while also addressing persistent security challenges.
Tinubu highlighted key achievements recorded in 2025, including a decline in inflation to below 15 per cent, foreign reserves rising to $45.4 billion, and GDP growth projected to exceed 4 per cent, while also citing sustained trade surpluses, exchange rate stability, and a 48.12 per cent gain on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, alongside a surge in foreign direct investment to $720 million in the third quarter of 2025 from $90 million in the previous quarter.
He added that credit rating agencies such as Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s have upgraded Nigeria’s outlook, signalling renewed investor confidence.
“These achievements reaffirm our belief that the difficult but necessary reforms we embarked upon are moving us in the right direction with more concrete results on the horizon for the ordinary Nigerian,” Tinubu stated.
Looking ahead, the president pledged to further reduce inflation and ensure reform benefits “reach every Nigerian household” through increased fiscal space for investments as interest rates moderate.
He commended states for adopting harmonized tax laws to ease burdens and emphasized that ongoing tax reforms aim for a fair fiscal foundation without overtaxing citizens.
The 2026 Appropriation Bill, he said, will prioritize long-term stability, with calls for “patience, fiscal discipline, and unity of purpose.”
Additionally, Tinubu announced the acceleration of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, aiming to empower at least 1,000 people per ward across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, potentially engaging 10 million citizens in agriculture, trade, food processing, and mining to stimulate local economies.
On security, Tinubu acknowledged lingering threats from terrorism and banditry, citing recent collaborative strikes with international partners, including the United States, on December 24, 2025, in the Northwest.
He committed to deeper regional and global cooperation to eliminate threats, while supporting decentralized policing with safeguards, regulated forest guards, and accountability measures.
“In 2026, our security and intelligence agencies will deepen cooperation with regional and global partners to eliminate all threats to national security,” he affirmed, recommitting to protecting lives, property, and territorial integrity.
The address also touched on infrastructure modernization, including roads, power, ports, railways, airports, pipelines, healthcare, education, and agriculture to bolster food security. Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace patriotism and integrity, stating, “Nation-building is a shared responsibility. We must stand together in unity and purpose.”
The speech comes against a backdrop of mixed economic indicators and public sentiment, as while 2025 recorded gains such as the introduction of a ₦70,000 minimum wage, student loans for over 300,000 beneficiaries, and major infrastructure initiatives including the Coastal Highway, critics continue to point to persistent unemployment, underemployment, and the collapse of small businesses.
As Nigeria steps into 2026, the success of these pledges will hinge largely on effective implementation amid mounting economic pressures and deepening political divisions.
