Acting executive chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has called on Nigerians to see the current national challenges as opportunities for renewal.
He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was laying a solid foundation for a stronger and more inclusive country.
Oladele made the remarks in a paper titled: “Turning Crisis to Opportunity: The State of the Nation in Nigeria and the Way Forward” at the Eminent Personality Forum organised by the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA), held at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State.
He commended ANUPA for its role in ensuring the smooth running of Nigerian universities, describing administrators as the “unseen strength” of higher institutions. He also congratulated TASUED on its recent upgrade to a federal university, hailing it as a recognition of the legacy of Pa Tai Solarin and the school’s contributions to education.
Tracing Nigeria’s situation before May 2023, Oladele said the country was grappling with fuel subsidy drain, foreign exchange distortions, debt burdens, oil theft, insecurity, and mass youth emigration.
He noted that insecurity had spread across all regions, leaving the country “fragile, fractured, and close to collapse.”
However, he credited President Tinubu with acting decisively in removing the fuel subsidy, unifying the exchange rate, and launching the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is anchored on democracy, development, demography, and diaspora engagement.
According to him, reforms are already yielding results with fiscal deficit reduced, tax revenues rising to ₦21 trillion, oil production recovering, and housing and infrastructure projects expanding across the federation. He highlighted landmark projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Renewed Hope Housing Program, and new investments in agriculture and industry.
Oladele also pointed to progress in security, with insurgents surrendering in the Northeast and safer highways in the Southwest, while stressing that corruption is being curtailed through transparency measures such as monthly performance reports from ministries.
Despite these gains, the FCC Chairman emphasised that the journey was far from complete. He outlined key steps for the way forward, including tackling inflation, expanding social safety nets, accelerating housing delivery, strengthening healthcare, modernising security architecture, boosting agriculture, engaging the diaspora more strategically, and upholding the Federal Character principle to promote inclusivity.
“No nation can progress when divided,” Oladele said, urging Nigerians to embrace unity and cohesion. He reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to fairness and bold reforms, assuring citizens that “better days are not just ahead, but already within reach.”
The lecture was attended by members of the academic community, administrators, and stakeholders who described the presentation as both timely and inspiring.
