President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has challenged governors, ministers and key government institutions to ensure that policy decisions translate into visible improvements in the lives of Nigerians amid ongoing economic reforms and rising public expectations.
Speaking at the close of the two-day National Economic Council (NEC) Conference in Abuja, Tinubu said his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda would be judged not by speeches or resolutions but by measurable outcomes such as job creation, infrastructure development, improved healthcare, strengthened education and restored investor confidence. He was represented at the event by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The President warned against allowing the conference to end as another high-level engagement without concrete results, stressing that reform is a continuous process that demands courage, patience and consistency.
“The decisions we make here must translate into visible improvements in the daily lives of Nigerians: jobs created, businesses supported, roads constructed, schools strengthened, healthcare improved and opportunities expanded,” he said.
Tinubu commended Vice President Kashim Shettima for his leadership of the NEC and praised governors, ministers, development partners and private-sector stakeholders for their contributions. He emphasised that disciplined implementation across all levels of government would shape the country’s next phase of development.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a slogan; it is a national commitment. That commitment demands that we move beyond dialogue to delivery,” he added.
The conference, themed “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable National Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan,” produced recommendations covering taxation, crude oil theft, security, social investment, private-sector collaboration and constitutional reforms.
Presenting the communiqué, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh, said participants agreed that the mandate of the NEC committee on crude oil theft should be sustained and expanded due to its impact on national revenue.
On tax reform, the conference commended 12 states that have passed the harmonised tax law, urged 13 others to fast-track pending bills, and encouraged the remaining 11 states to begin the legislative process to address multiple taxation.
The communiqué also called for increased investment in education, healthcare and nutrition, noting Nigeria’s continued underinvestment in human capital. On security, participants recommended complementing military operations with non-kinetic measures such as tackling unemployment and poverty, improving inter-agency coordination and aligning state efforts with national security strategies.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the resolutions must go beyond government circles to include the organised private sector and the National Assembly, stressing that implementation is key to impact.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun described the administration’s macroeconomic reforms as critical to restoring investor confidence. He argued that foreign exchange subsidies before 2023 created deeper economic distortions than fuel subsidies, weakening confidence in the naira and encouraging dollar speculation.
Abiodun said recent fiscal and monetary reforms had stabilised the foreign exchange market and restored confidence in holding the naira.