Tinubu Committed to Bold Economic Reforms, Says Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to diversifying the Nigerian economy, describing him as a leader with the political will to take bold decisions.

This is just as the Federal Government has mulled a task team to conceptualise and operationalise good architecture in Nigeria to standardise the country’s architectural framework.

Speaking on the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to diversify the nation’s economy today at the Presidential Villa, VP Shettima in a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha cited the President’s recent trip to Brazil which resulted in the signing of five Memmoranda of Understanding covering aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture, saying these were deliberate steps by the President in diversifying the nation’s economy.

The Vice President stated this on Thursday when he received a delegation from the Nigerian Economic Society (NES) led by its President, Prof. Adeola Adenikinju, on a courtesy visit.

“In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have an ally, a friend who grew up in the same ecosystem as you, who speaks your language of business and commerce, who understands the economic terrain, and most importantly, who has the political courage,” the VP noted.

VP Shettima observed that while the world is now in a knowledge-driven post-industrial age, the current government and relevant stakeholders are “in a unique position” to turn Nigeria’s potential into “demographic dividends.”

He stressed that Nigeria is uniquely positioned to fill global talent gaps for many reasons, including “our youthful population.”

Referencing top African unicorns domiciled in Nigeria, VP Shettima said Nigerians have the intellectual know-how, capacity, and versatility to economically reposition the country by leveraging President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Vice President Shettima described the NES as one of the oldest organisations in Nigeria’s economic ecosystem and solicited society’s support for implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He urged the body to devise more robust solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, assuring them that the President Tinubu administration is open to their input and “perspectives on diversifying the nation’s economy.”

Speaking earlier, the President of NES, Prof. Adenikinju, applauded the economic reforms of the administration of President Tinubu, describing it as bold, profound and yielding results.

He pledged the NES’s firm support for the Tinubu administration’s efforts and policies and offered to serve, if integrated, in the Federal Government’s economic management team and relevant committees and bodies saddled with development and financial planning responsibilities.

Prof. Adenikinju said that for the administration to consolidate gains recorded in the economy, the government must intentionally reactivate the Economic Intelligence Unit in the presidency to provide evidence-based advice for the President.

He also announced plans to confer the society’s highest award, ‘Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society (FNES)’ on Vice President Shettima at its forthcoming national conference on September 9 in Abuja.

The NES delegation also included former President of the Society Prof. Sarah Anyanwu; Council members Dr Rislanudeen Muhammad and Dr Idris M. Idris; Chairman of the NES Abuja chapter Dr Peter Agunloye; SA to the NES President Dr Justin Amase; and Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee of the conference Lady Nonye Ndidi, among others.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is considering constituting a presidential task team to conceptualise and operationalise good architecture in Nigeria.

This was one of the requests made on Thursday by a delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) led by its President, Arc. Mobolaji Adealo Adeniyi, during a courtesy visit to the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Institute also named the Vice President Nigeria’s Champion of Good Architecture to elevate design as a national priority and a vehicle for unlocking economic potential.

Speaking during a meeting with the NIA delegation, Senator Shettima assured the NIA of the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the President is a dependable ally who is ready to work collectively to move Nigeria forward.

“I want to assure you that all your requests are hereby granted. I want to assure you that in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have a very formidable ally with whom we can work collectively to catapult our nation.

“We have more than ten thousand architects in this country; we have people with experience, exposure, and technical knowledge who can add value,” he stated.

Urging Nigerian Architects to support the current administration, VP Shettima described President Tinubu as “a compassionate leader who won’t even want to hurt a fly. But leadership requires making hard decisions, and I believe that posterity will be kind to him in the fullness of time.”

The VP continued, “I want to implore you to support the government. In turn, we will reciprocate by supporting and involving you because expertise is not something you can buy in the marketplace. Experience and skills are things that you have to learn and earn at a price.

“Together, we can make this country a great nation. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. If this country succeeds, the black man can hold his head high in gathering the black.”

Earlier, Arc. Adeniyi, President of the NIA and leader of the delegation, said the reason for their visit was to share the vision and mission of good architecture in Nigeria and its role in delivering not only the Renewed Hope mandate of the Tinubu administration but also the all-around attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals for the country.

She noted that “architecture embodies not just the physical structure but also represents our culture, society, ways of life, and other concepts of human life, especially in today’s contemporary world.

“Good architecture propels societal progress.  When we design and deploy good architecture, it positively impacts society and those who live in our cities and use our buildings in schools, hospitals, airports, rail stations, factories, homes, markets, tourist resorts, and green recreation areas,” Mrs. Adeniyi added.

She highlighted some of the sector’s challenges, including an increasing departure from architectural design standards and specifications in the construction and oversight functions for buildings, a paucity of locally manufactured building materials, a lack of up-to-date expertise and capacity for advanced buildings, supply chain constraints, and substandard or poor-quality building materials.

Arc. Adeniyi urged the Vice President to be the country’s “Champion of Good Architecture,” elevating design as a national priority and making architecture the bridge between aspirations and reality.

She also invited the Vice President to the Institute’s 65th Annual General Meeting on November 26, 2025, under the theme “Architectural Excellence for Economic Resilience,” revealing that VP Shettima would be conferred with the Institute’s Honorary Fellowship.