George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, scored the federal government in the areas of human capital development, agriculture and social infrastructure, assuring that the security of lives and properties will continue to occupy a priority position.
He stated that the country has recorded significant progress since independence, including economic diversification, expansion of education and development of human capital; challenges such as poverty, insecurity, infrastructure deficits, and healthcare and education gaps remain areas requiring sustained government attention.
Akume also assured that the government will consolidate the economic reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration and ensure that their gains translate into greater opportunities and improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
Akume, who is Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Nigeria’s Independence Day Anniversary, stated this while delivering his keynote address at the World Press Conference flagging off activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary with the theme, ‘From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity,’ on Thursday, in Abuja.
Akume said the anniversary theme, ‘From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity,’ underscores the need to move beyond implementing reforms to ensuring that their benefits are translated into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians.
Nigeria, which gained Independence from the British colonial masters on 1st October, 1960, has lined up activities to mark the country’s 66th anniversary, beginning with the world press conference.
The SGF said the administration launched structural reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda in 2023, including the removal of the decades-long fuel subsidy regime, the unification of foreign exchange windows and measures aimed at strengthening fiscal and monetary management.
He said the reforms were designed to restore fiscal balance, strengthen the economy and lay the foundation for increased investment and sustainable growth.
‘The task before us today, as leaders and citizens, is consolidation. We must ensure that the gains from reform translate into better opportunities for ordinary Nigerians,’ Akume said.
He also revealed that the government was mobilising additional revenue, improving public finances, accelerating non-oil revenue collection and attracting new investment in order to create the fiscal space required to support development.
He identified Nigeria’s infrastructural development as a major priority in the government’s consolidation phase, noting investments in roads, railways, airports, seaports, electricity generation and transmission, as well as digital connectivity. He said the investments were aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, connecting farmers to markets, supporting industrial activities and creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment.
In the area of agricultural development, Akume said the government is also supporting farmers through improved seeds, fertilisers, irrigation, storage and processing facilities, while initiatives such as the National Agricultural Development Fund were designed to strengthen agricultural production and agro-industrial development.
On human capital development, Akume said the government was expanding access to education and improving the quality of schools and teachers.
He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, established through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund Act, as an initiative designed to enable more young Nigerians to access tertiary education.
Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, saying the armed forces and security agencies were intensifying efforts against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other security threats.
He stressed that these priorities are encapsulated in the Renewed Hope National Development Plan 2026-2030, which places productivity, diversification, human capital development and resilience at the centre of the country’s development strategy.
He therefore called on Nigerians to renew their commitment to the Nigerian project by strengthening institutions, developing infrastructure that supports businesses and agriculture, and creating an economy in which citizens have greater opportunities to prosper.
‘From reforms, we have built stability. From stability, let us now deepen growth and opportunity. And from growth, let us extend shared prosperity to every corner of Nigeria,’ he said.
In his welcome address at the event, Mohamed Idris, the Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee for Nigeria at the 66th Independence Day Anniversary and Minister of Information and National Orientation, said the occasion provides an opportunity for Nigerians to reflect on the sacrifices and resilience that have sustained the country since independence, while renewing their commitment to building a more prosperous, secure and united nation.
He said Nigeria is moving from reform and stabilisation towards growth, production and shared prosperity as GDP growth is strengthening, external position has improved, domestic refining capacity has expanded, and investment and productive activity are gaining momentum. He added that the next phase is to translate these gains into tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians: more jobs, higher incomes, greater access to education and credit, lower costs and wider economic opportunities.
He averred that the Renewed Hope Agenda is pursuing these objectives through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, education, consumer credit, digital skills, energy and enterprise. Student loans are widening access to education; consumer credit is expanding economic opportunity; major highways are connecting communities and markets; and reforms in agriculture, livestock, solid minerals, oil and gas are increasingly focused on production and local value addition.
The activities continue with the Juma’at Service on Friday, September 25; the Church Service on Sunday, September 27, 2026; the Independence Day Public Lecture on Wednesday, September 30, 2026; and the nationwide broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will take place on Thursday, October 1, 2026.