He said, from the onset, that nobody should pity him as president because he applied for the job and fought fiercely to get it. He came on board during a very challenging time when the country needed his experience, depth of knowledge and skills.
Since he got to the hot seat, he has not relented in working hard to justify the confidence reposed in him. The challenges are enormous. Not all of them have been successfully resolved. This is not due to lack of concerted effort. But in the last three years, Nigeria has been set on the irreversible path of recovery, stability, growth and progress.
There is political stability, and threats of disintegration have faded. Increasingly, Nigeria is achieving greater integration through inclusive policies and programmes. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s national outlook, honesty, fairness, broadmindedness, openness and bridge-building style have fostered unity and harmony in the polity, the natural and necessary tension associated with next year’s impending presidential contest notwithstanding.
The economic stabilisation and growth achieved under the administration are aptly driven by painstaking fiscal and structural reforms, which are accompanied by transient pains.
The measures include the removal of fuel subsidy and the foreign exchange cleansing through unification.
Subsidy was a contentious issue that had polarised the polity. It had gulped over N4 trillion annually, the bulk of which ended in private pocket. Huge subsidy spending affected the allocation of resource to road infrastructure, healthcare, education, and housing.
It’s removal, according to experts, enabled the Federal Government to expand its pursue. The effect is that more money now goes to the sub-national units for development.
In the last three years, the cries of agony arising from the non-payment or irregular payment of salaries has become a thing of the past across the states.
Also, the adoption of market-driven foreign exchange reforms paved the way for the clearing of $7 billion forex backlog. It also led to the reduction of multiple exchange rate windows. It ended the arbitrariness, particularly the incidence of round tripping.
Due to the massive distortions, Nigeria lost more than N8 trillion over three years to rent-seeking and speculative practices.
The stock market grew from N30 trillion market capitalisation in 2023 to N160 trillion in 2026.
The bold and courageous measures have paved the way for macroeconomic growth. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria has continued to record real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.43 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026.
Also, there have been improvements in public revenue generation due to the strengthening of revenue generating agencies. The macroeconomic growth had elicited investor confidence.
Key sectors where the administration has achieved significant achievements include the economy, infrastructure, agriculture, -Lagos/Calabar Road and Nigeria LNG Limited Train 7 Project. The local refining capacity has improved, and the country has reduced fuel import dependence
Tendering his stewardship on May 29, President Tinubu said: ‘In the oil and gas sector, the reforms we instituted have attracted billions of dollars in fresh investment from the international oil companies that had shunned our country. The $5 billion NLNG Train 7 project is nearing completion to boost LNG production capacity, exports, and dividends.’
The administration has also taken measures to boost agriculture and enhance food security. It has supported farmers through fertiliser and seedlings. The president alluded to irrigation, mechanisation, and agricultural financing as part of his government’s efforts to make the sector more productive.
‘Agricultural interventions have supported millions of farmers by improving seedlings, fertilisers, mechanisation, and irrigation and by expanding access to finance and markets. We are opening new agricultural corridors to create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce pressure on household incomes,’ the President added.
Students nationwide can testify to the efficacy of the Nigerian Education Loan scheme. This has been disbursed to over two million students. As at May, over N282 billion had been disbursed.
The Managing Director of the Federal Housing Authority, Oyetunde Ojo, said and more than 10,000 housing units were under construction across 14 states and the FCT.
President Tinubu said: ‘Our Renewed Hope Housing Programme, along with that of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), is delivering over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT, creating over 300,000 jobs and expanding access to affordable housing. Major Renewed Hope Cities in Abuja, Lagos, and Kano are progressing steadily. Our consumer credit initiative, CREDICORP, is opening up new economic opportunities for workers and families.’
President Tinubu signed into law a new national minimum wage of N70,000 to help cushion inflation and economic adjustments.
Strikes are becoming a thing of the past in the tertiary institutions due to the honouring of old agreement with lecturers and non-academic staff.
The government has deployed intervention funds and conditional cash transfers targeted at small businesses and vulnerable households to mitigate near-term reform hardships.
Although critics, particularly the opposition, have used the insecurity in the land to blackmail the administration, much has been achieved in the anti-terror war. Government has fought the war vigorously, with funding, supply of equipment, inter-agency coordination and collaboration within the sub-region. Those behind terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft, and other criminal networks are now freting.
Unlike before, communities and highways were becoming safer, and security agencies savour improved technology and logistics.
Indeed, there is increased capital budgetary allocations to defence, resulting in intensified joint military operations against insurgents, bandits, and criminal networks in troubled spots.
President Tinubu said: ‘Our Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks. While challenges remain, many communities and highways are becoming safer and more economically active. We continue investing in intelligence, surveillance, logistics, technology, and inter-agency coordination.’
However, much still need to be done. An ICIR commentator, Nanji Nandang Venley, observed that many households are yet feel the full impact of the macro-economic stability.
President signed four new tax reform acts into law on June 26, last year. They became fully active on January 1, 2026. These laws changed how taxes work in Nigeria to help businesses and protect poor citizens.
The Nigerian Tax Act merges old codes. Also, the Tax Administration Act unifies collection rules. The Nigeria Revenue Service Act replaces FIRS while the Joint Revenue Board Act improves coordination.
Under the next taxation, Low-income earners pay no income tax, food, health, and education have zero Value Added Tax (VAT), small businesses under 50m naira pay no tax and big company tax reduced to 25 percent.
The president is on the neck of governors to fully implement the Supreme Court judgment that granted financial autonomy 774 local government councils. The apex court had ruled that governors cannot legally dissolve democratically elected local government councils or control their federal financial allocations. But many governors are reluctant and aloof to the judgment.
President Tinubu has insisted that statutory allocations from the Federation Account must go directly to local government bank accounts rather than through state-controlled joint accounts.
He warned governors that continued failure to comply with the ruling could force his administration to issue a decisive executive action to make them comply.
The Federal Government emphasised that financial independence requires local leaders to improve primary healthcare, basic education, and rural infrastructure, based on the needs and expectations of the people at the grassroots.
The machinery has been set in motion. Although it has not become operational, the constitutional amendment bill has been passed the National Assembly. It is currently before the 36 Houses of Assembly for ratification. Some states have passed it.
The Senate passed the Constitution Alteration Bill for state police on June 24, 2026, and the House of Representatives followed on July 23, 2026. According to National Assembly Clerk Kamoru Ogunlana, the bill was sent to the Houses of Assembly for consideration in September 2026.
To become law, the constitutional amendment must be approved by at least two-thirds (24 out of 36) of the Houses of Assemblies before receiving presidential assent.
A feature of the state police is the dual structure. It is a decentralized system where independent state police services would operate alongside the federal police force. There is no conflict of jurisdictions. State police would handle local crime and community safety, while the federal police would retain control over national security issues like counterterrorism, cybercrime, and border patrol.
Fears are rife about likely misuse by heads of sub-national units. But there are safeguards that would prohibits governors from unlawfully targeting political opponents or misusing the state police in a partisan way. That is why there would be independent oversight commissions for recruitment and discipline of personnel.
President Tinubu, like a statesman that he is, has not deployed an atom of federal might during the off-cycle elections across the country. He has provided an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of credible, orderly and peaceful elections.