‘We Will Defeat Poverty’, Tinubu Vows, As Nigerians Struggle With Rising Costs

Latest Headlines ‘We Will Defeat Poverty’, Tinubu Vows, As Nigerians Struggle With Rising Costs President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has acknowledged that millions of Nigerians are struggling to meet basic needs, saying his administration will work to change the course of the country’s economic challenges.Addressing the nation on Thursday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, Tinubu said, “I am also conscious that millions of our fellow citizens cannot wait for tomorrow.”“Some Nigerian families still struggle today for the next meal, the next school fee, the next medical bill, or simply enough money to get to work,” he said.According to the President, “Their circumstances did not begin with the reforms of the last three years. Their struggle is the accumulated consequence of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunity and institutions that too often failed those who needed them most.”Tinubu said the problems facing Nigerians could not be reversed immediately, but maintained that his administration could alter the country’s trajectory.“We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations. But we can change its course. We can build an economy that steadily lifts people out of poverty while ensuring that those who remain vulnerable are not abandoned along the way,” he said.The President said his administration was strengthening social interventions to support poor and vulnerable Nigerians.“That is why we are strengthening direct support for the poorest households and improving the National Social Register so that assistance reaches those who genuinely need it,” Tinubu said.He also highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, saying, “It is why the Nigerian Education Loan Fund is ensuring that the child of a low-income family need not surrender the dream of higher education simply because his parents cannot afford the fees.”On access to consumer credit, Tinubu said, “It is why CREDICORP is giving working Nigerians access to consumer credit, allowing people to acquire vehicles, solar systems, digital devices and other essential assets without first having to accumulate years of savings.”The President said his administration would also continue to work with state and local governments to strengthen essential public services.“That is why, working with our states and local governments, we will continue to strengthen primary healthcare, basic education, and the essential public services poorer Nigerians depend on most,” he said.Tinubu added, “Since 2023, we have paid salaries and pensions on time and in full. We have reformed the national pension program to benefit retirees and the vulnerable.”He described the various interventions as transitional measures rather than an end in themselves.“These programmes are not substitutes for prosperity. They are a bridge to aid our nation’s citizens on their path towards it,” he said.“Our objective is not to manage poverty more efficiently.“We will defeat it,” acknowledging that achieving the objective would take time and sustained effort.“It will take time. It will require discipline. It will require sustained growth year after year and the creation of millions of productive opportunities across our country.” Related Articles