Tinubu urges Nigerians to produce and support local goods, saying shared sacrifice is key to building a stable and prosperous future
Tinubu urges Nigerians to produce more and depend less on consumption, saying that the path to national prosperity lies in productivity, unity, and shared sacrifice.
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Delivering his Independence Day speech on Wednesday to mark Nigeria’s 65th anniversary, President Bola Tinubu said the country must “turn on the taps of productivity” to become globally competitive and economically self-reliant.
“Let us farm our land and build factories to process our produce,” he said.
“Let us patronise ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ goods. I say Nigeria first. Let us pay our taxes.”
He praised recent improvements in passport processing as a model of efficient reform and called on state and local governments to join the federal effort in rebuilding the economy.
While acknowledging the temporary pain caused by recent reforms—such as the removal of fuel subsidies—Tinubu insisted that the alternatives would have plunged Nigeria into economic collapse.
“Our macro-economic progress has proven that our sacrifices have not been in vain,” he said, emphasising the government’s aim to stabilise the economy and reallocate resources to vital sectors.
“The accurate measure of our success will not be limited to economic statistics alone,” he noted, “but rather in the food on our families’ tables, the quality of education our children receive, the electricity in our homes, and the security in our communities.”
Tinubu assured citizens that his administration was laying a solid foundation to ensure that the rewards of reform would soon be felt across homes and communities.
He also highlighted the growing impact of local governance and autonomy, saying that more development was emerging from collaboration with state and local authorities.
“Let all hands be on deck,” he urged. “Let us believe, once more, in the boundless potential of our great nation.
With Almighty God on our side, I can assure you that the dawn of a new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria is here.”
Independence Day in Nigeria is observed annually on 1 October, marking the country’s freedom from British colonial rule in 1960.
While typically celebrated with parades and cultural events, this year’s celebrations were notably toned down.
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As Tinubu urges Nigerians to produce, his message strikes a tone of both realism and hope, framing economic recovery as a shared responsibility built on trust, patience, and action.
