PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that the economic policies and reforms of his government would positively impact more households in 2026, noting that the government would build on the gains of such reforms within the year.
The President cited easing inflation, stronger foreign reserves and renewed investor confidence as evidence that his administration’s reforms were beginning to yield results, adding that Nigeria is entering a more robust phase of economic growth in the new year.
In his New Year goodwill message to Nigerians on Thursday, January 1, Tinubu said 2025 closed on a strong note despite global economic headwinds, adding that the government would focus on consolidating gains and ensuring that the benefits of reform reach households across the country in the new year.
According to the president, Nigeria recorded consistent quarterly GDP growth in 2025, with annualised growth expected to exceed four per cent. He said inflation declined steadily to below 15 per cent, meeting the government’s target, while trade surpluses and greater exchange rate stability were maintained.
Tinubu also pointed to strong performance in the capital market, noting that the Nigerian Stock Exchange posted a gain of 48.12 per cent in 2025, extending a bullish run that began in the second half of 2023.
On external buffers, the president said Nigeria’s foreign reserves stood at $45.4 billion as of 29 December 2025, describing this as a “substantial buffer” against external shocks to the naira.
He added that foreign direct investment rose sharply in the third quarter of 2025 to $720 million, from $90 million in the previous quarter, reflecting renewed investor confidence and positive assessments from international credit rating agencies.
Despite allegations of alterations, which made many Nigerians ask the president to halt the implementation of recently enacted tax laws, Tinubu said his administration would intensify tax reforms in 2026, with a focus on harmonising taxes across all tiers of government to reduce multiple taxation and ease the burden on citizens and businesses. He said moderating inflation and interest rates would create more fiscal space for infrastructure and human capital investment.
The president’s assurances are coming at a time when households are still struggling to buy basic food and commodities with weak purchasing power as a result of the government’s policies of floating the exchange rate and fuel subsidy removal.
The president also addressed security, acknowledging continued threats from terrorist and criminal groups. He confirmed that, in collaboration with international partners, including the United States, Nigerian forces carried out strikes against terrorist targets in parts of the North-West on 24 December, with sustained operations ongoing in the North-West and North-East.
In 2026, he said, security and intelligence agencies would deepen cooperation with regional and global partners, while the government would continue to explore decentralised policing and regulated forest guards as part of efforts to tackle banditry and terrorism.
On social development, Tinubu stated that the government would accelerate the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, aiming to empower at least 10 million Nigerians by supporting at least 1,000 people in each of the country’s 8,809 wards. He said agriculture, trade, food processing and mining would be prioritised to stimulate local economies, alongside continued investment in infrastructure, including roads, power, ports, railways, healthcare and education.
Harrison Edeh is a journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, always determined to drive advocacy for good governance through holding public officials and businesses accountable.