NITDA DG, Other APC Stakeholders Defend Tinubu’s Reforms Across Eight Sectors

All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders have defended President Bola Tinubu’s developmental strides, insisting that he has not only laid a strong foundation but has also shifted the focus from subsidising consumption to subsidising production, innovation and investment.

The stakeholders, under the auspices of the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), expressed satisfaction that President Tinubu has made significant progress in eight priority areas through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Enumerating the areas, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Chairman of the Board of Trustees and National Coordinator of TMS, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the President deserves re-election in next year’s presidential election.

According to him, the eight priority areas include reforming the economy for sustained growth; strengthening national security; boosting agriculture for food security; unlocking energy and natural resources; enhancing infrastructure and transportation; focusing on health, education and social investment; accelerating diversification through industrialisation, digitalisation and the creative industry; and improving governance through efficient service delivery.

Inuwa, who spoke at the inaugural training workshop organised to equip Nigerians with the knowledge and skills to protect and sustain the reform agenda of the Tinubu-led administration, said the President was on track to take Nigeria to the next level in his second term.

In his remarks at the event, held in Abuja on Thursday, he explained that the workshop was designed to provide a platform for Nigerians to contribute ideas on how to move the country forward.

“We spend most of our resources trying to subsidise consumption. When President Tinubu came on board, he looked at it: Is it consumption we should subsidise, or production, innovation and investment? That is what the reforms are all about,” Kashifu said.

He further cited ongoing initiatives, such as the integration of digital skills into formal education, the introduction of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by the Ministry of Education, and the Student Loan Scheme, as measures aimed at ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind because of economic circumstances.

The DG said NITDA was fostering digital literacy through initiatives such as Digital Literacy for All, the training of over 19,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members as digital literacy champions in markets and motor parks, and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, which empowers young Nigerians to work remotely for global companies.

According to him, the reforms are already building investor confidence. He cited the Dangote Refinery, a $1 billion data centre investment by a South African firm announced this week, and JP Morgan’s decision to commence operations in Nigeria as evidence of growing investor interest.

“No country in the world developed in less than 30 years. The fastest-developing country is South Korea. It took 30 years. To develop, you need the right policies first. That is the foundation Mr President is laying. Then you build on it to attract investors.

“Reform is a journey; it is not a one-off event. The essence of this movement is to enlighten Nigerians on these reforms so that they can understand what is in them for them. You are the ultimate beneficiary,” the DG argued.

He urged participants at the roundtable to propose ideas on how to sustain the reforms and identify areas where the government needs to do more, including providing input for the approved National Youth Conference.

In his remarks, the Director-General of TMS, Marcel Ngogbehei, said the inaugural workshop was conceived to empower and educate ordinary Nigerians while providing them with a credible platform to express their views on national issues.

He explained that the training combined civic education with practical engagement, including role-play sessions in which participants compared public expectations of governance with the policies and programmes being implemented by the Tinubu administration.

Ngogbehei acknowledged that reforms often come with initial difficulties but maintained that continuity was critical to attracting long-term investment and ensuring that the benefits eventually reached every household.

While urging Nigerians to move beyond rhetoric and demand substantive commitments from political actors, he said: “Instead of following rhetoric, we should encourage Nigerians to ask the opposition a simple question: What alternative are you offering that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not already doing?”

Also speaking, a member of the Board of Trustees of TMS, Olujonwo Obasanjo, said the movement was established to bridge the information gap between the government and citizens and to showcase the progress being recorded through projects across the country.

He noted that the creation of regional development commissions by President Tinubu, as well as his commitment to local government autonomy, affirmed by the Supreme Court, were deliberate steps aimed at accelerating inclusive development and bringing governance closer to the people.

“Nigeria’s development challenge has never been a lack of ideas, but policy discontinuity. There is a need for sustained, uninterrupted reforms to consolidate gains, drive economic growth and ensure that ongoing investments translate into lasting prosperity,” he stated.