In fact it was on that occasion that he made the statement ‘subsidy is gone’
which has continued to reverberate in the economic circles across Nigeria.
Nearly one year after, people are asking, How much of the promises have been
fulfilled? Find below the full text of the May 29, 2023 speech:
My Fellow Citizens,
I stand before you honoured to assume the sacred mandate you have given me. My
love for this nation is abiding. My confidence in its people, unwavering. And
my faith in God Almighty, absolute. I know that His hand shall provide the
needed moral strength and clarity of purpose in those instances when we seem
to have reached the limits of our human capacity.
This day is bold and majestic yet bright and full of spirit, as is our
precious nation.
As a nation, we have long ago decided to march beyond the dimness of night
into the open day of renewed national hope.
The question we now ask ourselves is whether to remain faithful to the work
inherent in building a better society or retreat into the shadows of our unmet
potential.
For me, there is but one answer. We are too great a nation and too grounded as
a people to rob ourselves of our finest destiny.
This nation’s journey has been shaped by the prayers of millions, and the
collective sacrifices of us all.
We have endured hardships that would have made other societies crumble.
Yet, we have shouldered the heavy burden to arrive at this SUBLIME moment
where the prospect of a better future merges with our improved capacity to
create that future.
To the surprise of many but not to ourselves, we have more firmly established
this land as a democracy in both word and deed.
The peaceful transition from one government to another is now our political
tradition. This handover symbolizes our trust in God, our enduring faith in
representative governance and our belief in our ability to reshape this nation
into the society it was always meant to be.
Here, permit me to say a few words to my predecessor, President Muhammadu
Buhari. Mr President, you have been an honest, patriotic leader who has done
his best for the nation you love. On a more personal note, you are a worthy
partner and friend. May History be kind to you.
For many years, Nigeria’s critics have trafficked the rumour that our nation
will break apart, even perish.
Yet here we are. We have stumbled at times, but our resilience and diversity
have kept us going.
Our burdens may make us bend at times, but they shall never break us.
Instead, we stand forth as Africa’s most populous nation and as the best hope
and strongest champion of the Black Race.
As citizens, we declare as one unified people devoted to one unified national
cause, that as long as this world exists, NIGERIA SHALL EXIST.
Today, Fate and Destiny join together to place the torch of human progress in
our very hands. We dare not let it slip.
We lift high this torch so that it might shine on every household and in every
heart that calls itself Nigerian. We hold this beam aloft because it lights
our path with compassion, brotherhood, and peace. May this great light never
EXTINGUISH.
Our administration shall govern on your behalf but never rule over you. We
shall consult and dialogue but never dictate. We shall reach out to all but
never put down a single person for holding views contrary to our own.
We are here to further mend and heal this nation, not tear and injure it.
In this vein, may I offer a few comments regarding the election that brought
us to this juncture. It was a hard-fought contest. And it was also fairly won.
Since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has not held an election of
better quality.
The outcome reflected the will of the people. However, my victory does not
render me any more Nigerian than my opponents. Nor does it render them any
less patriotic.
They shall forever be my fellow compatriots. And I will treat them as such.
They represent important constituencies and concerns that wisdom dare not
ignore.
They have taken their concerns to court. Seeking legal redress is their right
and I fully defend their exercise of this right. This is the essence of the
rule of law.
Over six decades ago, our founding fathers gave bravely of themselves to place
Nigeria on the map as an independent nation.
We must never allow the labour of those who came before us to wither in vain
but to blossom and bring forth a better reality.
Let us take the next great step in the journey they began and believed in.
Today, let us recommit our very selves to placing Nigeria in our hearts as the
indispensable home for each and every one of us regardless of creed,
ethnicity, or place of birth.
My supporters, I thank you. To those who voted otherwise, I extend my hand
across the political divide. I ask you to grasp it in national affinity and
brotherhood. For me, political colouration has faded away. All I see are
Nigerians.
May we uphold these fitting and excellent notions as the new Nigerian ideal.
My fellow compatriots,
The Nigerian ideal which I speak of is more than just an improvement in
economic and other statistics. These things are important; but they can never
convey the fullness of our story.
Our mission is to improve our way of life in a manner that nurtures our
humanity, encourages compassion toward one another, and duly rewards our
collective effort to resolve the social ills that seek to divide us.
Our constitution and laws give us a nation on paper. We must work harder at
bringing these noble documents to life by strengthening the bonds of economic
collaboration, social cohesion, and cultural understanding. Let us develop a
shared sense of fairness and equity.
The South must not only seek good for itself but must understand that its
interests are served when good comes to the North. The North must see the
South likewise.
Whether from the winding creeks of the Niger Delta, the vastness of the
northern savannah, the boardrooms of Lagos, the bustling capital of Abuja, or
the busy markets of Onitsha, you are all my people. As your president, I shall
serve with prejudice toward none but compassion and amity towards all.
In the coming days and weeks, my team will publicly detail key aspects of our
programme. Today, permit me to outline in broad terms a few initiatives that
define our concept of progressive good governance in furtherance of the
Nigerian ideal:
The principles that will guide our administration are simple:
Nigeria will be impartially governed according to the constitution and the
rule of law.
We shall defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that
threaten the peace and stability of our country and our sub-region.
We shall remodel our economy to bring about growth and development through job
creation, food security and an end of extreme poverty.
In our administration, Women and youth will feature prominently.
Our government will continue to take proactive steps such as championing a
credit culture to discourage corruption while strengthening the effectiveness
and efficiency of the various anti-corruption agencies.
SECURITY
Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither
prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.
To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE
and its ARCHITECTURE.
We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an
increase in number. We shall provide, better training, equipment, pay and
firepower.
THE ECONOMY
On the economy, we target a higher GDP growth and to significantly reduce
unemployment.
We intend to accomplish this by taking the following steps:
First, budgetary reform stimulating the economy without engendering inflation
will be instituted.
Second, industrial policy will utilize the full range of fiscal measures to
promote domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependency.
Third, electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses
and homes alike. Power generation should nearly double and transmission and
distribution networks improved. We will encourage states to develop local
sources as well.
I have a message for our investors, local and foreign: our government shall
review all their complaints about multiple taxation and various
anti-investment inhibitions.
We shall ensure that investors and foreign businesses repatriate their hard
earned dividends and profits home.
JOBS
My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall
honour our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy.
Our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an
omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill. This bill will give our administration the
policy space to embark on labour-intensive
infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry and provide improved
social services for the poor, elderly and vulnera
AGRICULTURE
Rural incomes shall be secured by commodity exchange boards guaranteeing
minimal prices for certain crops and animal products. A nationwide programme
for storage and other facilities to reduce spoilage and waste will be
undertaken.
Agricultural hubs will be created throughout the nation to increase production
and engage in value-added processing. The livestock sector will be introduced
to best modern practices and steps taken to minimize the perennial conflict
over land and water resources in this sector.
Through these actions, food shall be made more abundant yet less costly.
Farmers shall earn more while the average Nigerian pays less.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We shall continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure.
Progress toward national networks of roads, rail and ports shall get priority
attention.
FUEL SUBSIDY
We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the
petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the
poor. Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of
drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment
in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially
improve the lives of millions.
MONETARY POLICY
Monetary policy needs thorough housecleaning. The Central Bank must work
towards a unified exchange rate. This will direct funds away from arbitrage
into meaningful investment in the plant, equipment and jobs that power the
real economy.
Interest rates need to be reduced to increase investment and consumer
purchasing in ways that sustain the economy at a higher level.
Whatever merits it had in concept, the currency swap was too harshly applied
by the CBN given the number of unbanked Nigerians. The policy shall be
reviewed. In the meantime, my administration will treat both currencies as
legal tender.
FOREIGN POLICY
Given the world in which we reside, please permit a few comments regarding
foreign policy.
The crisis in Sudan and the turn from democracy by several nations in our
immediate neighbourhood are of pressing concern.
As such, my primary foreign policy objective must be the peace and stability
of the West African sub-region and the African continent. We shall work with
ECOWAS, the AU and willing partners in the international community to end
extant conflicts and to resolve new ones.
As we contain threats to peace, we shall also retool our foreign policy to
more actively lead the regional and continental quest for collective
prosperity.
CONCLUSION
This is the proudest day of my life. But this day does not belong to me. It
belongs to you, the people of Nigeria.
On this day, Nigeria affirms its rightful place among the world’s great
democracies. There, Nigeria shall reside forever.
The course of our past and the promise of the future have brought us to this
exceptional moment.
In this spirit, I ask you to join me in making Nigeria a more perfect nation
and democracy such that the Nigerian ideal becomes and forever remains the
Nigerian reality.
With full confidence in our ability, I declare that these things are within
our proximate reach because my name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I am the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless you and May He
bless our beloved land.
*In the following pages, the ruling party, opposition parties’ members as well
as a renowned economist, in what is at best fireworks on the Tinubu
government, assess the administration one year after.
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