Tinubu’s reforms put Nigeria on path to $1trn economy – APC chair

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said Nigeria’s ambition of achieving a $1trn economy is within reach, citing recognition of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Yilwatda said the reforms were laying the foundation for a stronger, more productive and prosperous Nigeria, despite the difficult adjustments they had imposed on citizens.

He spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during a rally attended by Tinubu and other members of his entourage at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman said Tinubu’s decision to confront longstanding structural challenges reflected the courageous leadership needed to reposition the country for sustainable economic growth.

He argued that abandoning the reforms would reverse the progress made and return Nigeria to the economic difficulties that necessitated the policies.

Yilwatda described the President’s $1trn economy ambition as a strategic national development target rather than a political aspiration, saying it was backed by deliberate policy choices and ongoing economic restructuring.

He identified investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion as key pillars of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.

The APC chairman singled out the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the project would improve connectivity, stimulate commerce and unlock economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.

He added that the development of Nigeria’s maritime economy would boost the competitiveness of coastal states and expand their contribution to national growth.

On education and social investment, Yilwatda praised the student loan scheme for expanding access to higher education, while noting that interventions targeting women and small businesses were creating opportunities for broader economic participation.

He also said the tax reforms were designed to reduce the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, allowing them to retain more of their earnings and operate in a more favourable business environment.

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The APC chairman further highlighted improved industrial harmony in educational institutions and efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises as milestones of the administration.

He urged Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, warning against a return to what he described as the country’s previous economic difficulties.

“Never again should Nigeria return to Egypt. We cannot afford to abandon the difficult but necessary work of rebuilding our economy and repositioning our country for sustainable growth,” he said.

Yilwatda maintained that the administration’s policies and investments were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity, urging citizens to support Tinubu’s vision of a stronger and more economically competitive nation.