THE Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, Nigerians will assess the Federal Government’s reforms of recent years by their impact on everyday life.
News Point Nigeria reports that Idris stated this on Monday in Abuja at the North Central Stakeholders’ Development Summit, themed: “The Great Leap Forward: A 20-Year Economic, Infrastructural and Social Development Plan for the North Central Region.”
He said the economic direction of the administration was to stabilise the economy, improve infrastructure, increase electricity generation, boost food production and attract investment.
The minister said the government was also focused on expanding manufacturing, adding value to Nigerian resources and developing human capital to enable private enterprises to thrive across the country.
“As we approach 2027, Nigeria will understandably assess the reforms of recent years by their impact on everyday life,” Mr Idris said.
He said the removal of the petroleum subsidy and other reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu were necessary to move the country away from an economic model that consumed huge public resources without creating sufficient productive capacity.
According to him, the subsidy removal has created economic headroom for the Federal Government, as well as state and local governments, to execute development projects.
He said prior to the Tinubu administration, 27 of the 36 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, were unable to pay workers’ salaries.
Idris said the policy had provided governments with additional resources to pursue development and support the administration.
He said the convergence of the administration’s policies held enormous promise for the North Central region, particularly in agriculture, infrastructure, mining and human capital development.
According to him, highways connecting farms to markets, local processing of minerals and the development of hydroelectric resources will help create an integrated regional economy.
He said agricultural produce must feed processing plants, while skilled young Nigerians must have access to productive employment to strengthen the region’s economy.
“These various regions have to come together. There must be something that connects them together so that the development that all of us so aspire can take hold,” Idris said.
The minister, however, stressed that none of the economic and infrastructural initiatives could be sustained without adequate security.
He said the Tinubu administration had strengthened the national security architecture through additional recruitment into the armed forces and the police.
Idris said the number of military divisions had also increased from eight to 12 as part of measures to strengthen national security.
He added that the administration had improved the salaries and wages of security personnel who worked day and night to protect Nigerians and their communities.
The minister said the measures were already producing results in different parts of the country, including the North Central region.
He said 308 abducted Nigerians were rescued in August in Kwara and Niger states through a coordinated, intelligence-driven operation.
Idris said the operation involved the armed forces, the Department of State Services, the police and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, among other security agencies.