Tinubu: Nigeria must secure itself economically for devt

President Bola Tinubu says his administration remains undeterred in its pursuit of comprehensive economic security for the country.

Tinubu said Nigeria must secure itself economically first before it can achieve any of its more sophisticated objectives.

The president said this during a meeting with leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.

He noted that his administration is re-engineering Nigeria’s finances and seeking to boost the purchasing power of citizens, by instituting a credit system where the element of cash does not impede a significantly enhanced standard of living for all citizens.

President Tinubu said: “We are committed to the economic survival of our country. To re-engineer the finances of our country, we must start in earnest. So first, retool, revamp the economic opportunities available, and resolve to continue taking the firm and steady baby steps that are necessary.

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“Education is a strong weapon against poverty. To empower the people, we must invest in the future of our youths. We have seen the problems parents face in training their children in school; it is the reason why we established the National Student Loan Programme, which is taking off well.

“We are equally examining what to do with the high degree of unemployment. We must help vulnerable people by providing social security.

“We are looking at how to provide allowances for the unemployed, and we are developing ways to boost the purchasing power of citizens with the Consumer Credit Scheme. If we remove the cash upfront element to buy a car or a house, we will reduce the propensity for fraud and corruption across the land.”

On his part, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, commended Tinubu for his decisions and the rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State, as well as other critical ongoing projects.

Falale urged the president not to relent in ensuring fairness and equity for all Nigerians while noting the importance of a constitutional amendment to devolve more powers to the states.

The Star