- Idris says Tinubu’s reforms yielding outcomes regardless of excessive residing prices
- Lists falling inflation, $55bn reserves, scholar loans as key achievements
•Science minister defends reforms, seeks president’s re-election
Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Enugu
Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday mounted a contemporary marketing campaign to win the North over for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, assuring the area that it had nothing to concern from one other 4 years of the administration and insisting that it stood to profit much more if the president secured a second time period in 2027.
With the battle for 2027 gathering momentum, Shettima urged northern political leaders and residents to shut ranks behind Tinubu, arguing that the area had already benefited from the administration’s appointments, agricultural interventions and infrastructure tasks.
The vp spoke on the State House, Abuja, when he obtained a delegation of Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A), a northern-based political group campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election, urging the area not to view one other Tinubu presidency with apprehension however as a possibility to consolidate the good points he mentioned the area had recorded below the administration.
Also, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, yesterday mentioned Nigeria’s financial reforms below Tinubu had been starting to produce measurable outcomes, citing declining inflation, rising international change reserves, improved oil manufacturing and elevated funding in infrastructure and social programmes.
In the identical vein, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh (SAN) has defended Tinubu’s quest for a second time period in workplace, sustaining that the president deserves to keep for an additional 4 years in Aso Rock to full his ‘bold’ financial reforms.
Shettima urged political leaders and residents throughout the area to unite behind the administration, arguing that the North had benefited from its insurance policies, appointments and improvement tasks and stood to achieve extra if Tinubu secured one other time period.
According to him, the administration’s dedication to the area’s improvement and the welfare of its folks ought to encourage northern stakeholders to help its continuation past 2027.
“Let’s unite as a people and work for the development of our region and the progress of our people through the re-election of this administration. We are benefiting and we stand to benefit more from this government in many ways,” the vp mentioned.
He cited the Bank of Agriculture’s disbursement of N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers throughout the nation, saying about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries had been from the North.
“The Bank of Agriculture has disbursed N450 billion to 700,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria and about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries are from the North,” he mentioned.
Shettima additionally pointed to main infrastructure tasks being undertaken by the administration, assuring the delegation that Tinubu remained dedicated to the area.
“The present administration is working towards completing landmark and groundbreaking projects in parts of the country. I can assure you that the president loves the North and the president will work for the North,” he mentioned.
The vp thanked the organisation for its help for Tinubu and urged its members to intensify mobilisation throughout wards, communities and native authorities areas within the area forward of the 2027 presidential election.
Earlier, the Director General of Arewa for Asiwaju and former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, mentioned the group would maintain its mobilisation efforts till Tinubu was re-elected.
Badaru disclosed that the organisation deliberate to have interaction non secular leaders, together with Muslim and Christian clerics, in addition to different outstanding Nigerians, to drum up help for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket.
“On discussions with the high profile, we have gone far. We have met them several times and the BoT is meeting them again to consolidate our gains and to tell them why there is a need to support this ticket,” he mentioned.
He added that the group was additionally working with the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), whereas concentrating on grassroots mobilisation to complement the council’s broader actions.
Also talking, Chairman of the organisation’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, mentioned the group, which supported Tinubu’s election in 2023, was decided to repeat the feat in 2027.
Shekarau mentioned the organisation had been participating northern governors and different stakeholders to evaluate notes and determine areas of collaboration in direction of securing the president’s re-election.
He disclosed that the group had concluded plans to set up a completely fledged secretariat to coordinate its actions, with workplaces for administrators and state coordinators who would collate stories, analyse developments and subject directives to members.
The former governor additionally formally invited Shettima to inaugurate the organisation’s workplace advanced on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Among these current on the assembly had been former Plateau State governors Joshua Dariye and Simon Lalong; former Taraba State Governor, Jolly Nyame; former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello; former Katsina State Governor Ibrahim Shema; former Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda; the President’s Special Adviser on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman; and Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa.
Idris Lists Tinubu’s Achievements, Says Reforms Yielding Results
Also yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, mentioned Nigeria’s financial reforms below Tinubu had been starting to produce measurable outcomes, citing declining inflation, rising international change reserves, improved oil manufacturing and elevated funding in infrastructure and social programmes.
However, Idris acknowledged that many Nigerian households proceed to face important cost-of-living pressures, stressing that the federal authorities’s precedence is to be certain that enhancements within the nation’s financial indicators translate into extra inexpensive important items and providers, elevated buying energy and higher residing circumstances.
Also, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh (SAN) has defended Tinubu’s quest for a second time period in workplace, sustaining that the president deserves to keep for an additional 4 years in Aso Rock to full his ‘bold’ financial reforms.
Idris spoke throughout a media chat with senior editors at Radio House, Abuja, the place he outlined the administration’s financial efficiency, safety interventions, social investments and implementation of its Renewed Hope Agenda.
He maintained that the federal government’s financial reforms had been strengthening the nation’s fundamentals and restoring investor confidence, whereas conceding that extra work was required to be certain that the advantages reached households throughout the nation.
“Our task now is to ensure that this clear macroeconomic recovery is felt even more widely in the lives and households of Nigerians,” the minister mentioned.
He recognized meals costs, market transactions, transport and family spending as areas the place residents wanted to expertise tangible enhancements.
The minister recalled that the financial system is projected to develop above 4 per cent, saying the nation’s financial system was heading in the right direction to develop by greater than 4 per cent in 2026, whereas the nation’s exterior place and international change market had improved.
He reiterated that Nigeria recorded a present account surplus of $12 billion within the first half of 2026, in contrast with $8.6 billion within the corresponding interval of 2025, stressing that inflation declined from roughly 27 per cent in January 2025 to round 15 per cent on the time of the briefing.
He described the event as an encouraging signal for family budgets however mentioned the federal government’s final goal remained to carry inflation into single digits.
According to him, exterior reserves exceeded $54 billion in September, representing their highest stage in nearly twenty years, including that the international change market had stabilised sufficiently to allow companies and traders to make longer-term plans with larger confidence.
He defined that current financial reporting has additionally documented the rise in Nigeria’s exterior reserves. Recent stories point out that reserves stood at roughly $55.07 billion on October 8, citing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) knowledge.
The World Bank, in the meantime, projected common annual financial progress of 4.4 per cent by way of 2028, topic to continued reforms and enhancements in public service supply. The minister additional disclosed that Nigeria earned greater than $6 billion from non-oil exports in 2025, describing the determine as the best within the nation’s historical past.
He mentioned the earnings supported companies and entrepreneurs throughout agriculture, mining, petrochemicals, manufacturing, processing, transportation and logistics.
Idris argued that the mix of stronger exterior reserves, elevated non-oil exports, improved oil manufacturing and a extra steady international change market was creating alternatives for home funding and financial diversification.
Nevertheless, he emphasised that improved macroeconomic indicators have to be accompanied by sensible advantages for Nigerians, significantly these combating meals, transportation, vitality and different family bills.
The minister recognized infrastructure improvement as one of many principal channels by way of which the administration intends to translate financial restoration into employment and elevated financial exercise.
He defined that street development tasks generate earnings for contractors, suppliers, engineers, artisans, transport operators and meals distributors, whereas accomplished roads enhance connectivity, facilitate the motion of agricultural produce and improve entry to markets.
According to Idris, the administration’s 4 legacy tasks collectively cowl roughly 3,000 kilometres throughout Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. He mentioned the tasks shaped a part of a wider portfolio of street, rail, port, electrical energy, healthcare and schooling investments being carried out throughout the nation.
The minister additionally highlighted the lately permitted freeway mission valued at roughly N1.5 trillion in Niger State, describing it as an funding anticipated to enhance connectivity alongside an necessary agricultural and business hall. He maintained that the tasks had been supposed not solely to enhance transportation but in addition to stimulate financial exercise in communities alongside their routes.
The anticipated advantages, he mentioned, embrace sooner transportation of products, improved entry to business centres, elevated enterprise alternatives and stronger hyperlinks between rural producers and concrete markets.
Speaking on meals safety within the nation, the minister mentioned Tinubu locations meals safety on the centre of nationwide financial coverage, with authorities interventions centered on growing home agricultural manufacturing and enhancing farmers’ incomes.
He listed mechanisation, improved entry to agricultural inputs, irrigation improvement and agricultural financing among the many measures being pursued to strengthen the sector.
According to the minister, these interventions are designed to improve meals provides, enhance productiveness and make meals extra inexpensive for Nigerian households. He argued that increased agricultural output would additionally strengthen rural economies by supporting farmers, processors, transporters and different companies concerned within the meals provide chain.
The minister’s remarks come because the administration faces strain to reveal that financial stabilisation is producing significant enhancements within the affordability of fundamental commodities.
Although Idris described falling inflation as encouraging, he acknowledged that the federal government nonetheless wanted to be certain that the advance was mirrored within the every day experiences of extraordinary Nigerians.
The minister additionally outlined investments in healthcare and schooling, describing them as central to the administration’s efforts to enhance residing requirements and increase entry to important providers.
He disclosed that the federal authorities had lately commissioned two further most cancers remedy centres, bringing the quantity commissioned below the initiative to 5 following the sooner commissioning of three.
The administration, he mentioned, was working in direction of making a complete of 10 most cancers remedy centres accessible to Nigerians.
Idris added that the federal government was additionally pursuing the revitalisation of main healthcare services to increase entry to medical providers and strengthen the nationwide well being system.
On schooling, he mentioned the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had supported greater than 1.6 million college students, with over N192 billion paid in institutional charges and roughly N180 billion supplied as maintenance allowances.
The programme, in accordance to the minister, is meant to scale back the monetary burden of tertiary schooling on college students, mother and father and guardians. Idris mentioned the intervention was a part of the federal government’s broader social funding programme, which seeks to scale back monetary boundaries to schooling and help entry to increased studying.
He additionally highlighted the Three Million Technical Talent programme, which goals to increase younger Nigerians’ entry to digital abilities in software program improvement, knowledge science, cybersecurity and different rising applied sciences.
The minister mentioned funding in technical coaching, innovation and digital capabilities was supposed to put together younger folks for employment alternatives whereas supporting the nation’s wider financial diversification aims.
He added that renewed consideration to home refining, strong minerals, industrial manufacturing and innovation was anticipated to help sustainable employment and scale back dependence on conventional sources of international change.
Idris mentioned the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Electric Vehicle Initiative had attracted roughly $2.5 billion in non-public funding, alongside about N250 billion in authorities funding and commitments.
He disclosed that greater than 120,000 automobiles had been transformed below the initiative, whereas the nation had established greater than 400 licensed conversion centres. According to him, Nigeria additionally had greater than 90 refuelling stations, with roughly 180 further stations below improvement.
Idris mentioned the rising community of conversion centres and refuelling infrastructure was producing enterprise alternatives and employment in host communities.
He additionally linked the programme to the administration’s wider response to rising vitality prices, arguing that inexpensive options and stronger home manufacturing may contribute to easing strain on households and companies.
The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had issued a N758 billion bond to settle pension arrears courting again so far as 2007, with nearly a million pensioners anticipated to profit.
He described the intervention as a part of the administration’s effort to tackle inherited monetary obligations and enhance the welfare of retired employees.
Idris additionally introduced that the federal government had issued N1.2 trillion in bonds to settle inherited money owed owed to electrical energy era and fuel firms. He mentioned clearing these obligations would assist lay the inspiration for brand spanking new investments within the energy sector, the place excellent funds and financing constraints have remained important considerations.
The minister additional disclosed that the National Social Register was directing help to greater than 10 million households, whereas the Consumer Credit Corporation was serving to working Nigerians unfold the price of important purchases.
On nationwide safety, Idris mentioned the safety of lives and property remained the primary duty of the federal government and a central precedence He mentioned the federal authorities had strengthened the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces, intelligence providers and different safety businesses by way of improved coordination, gear, logistics and help for personnel deployed to the frontlines.
According to the minister, safety operations throughout a number of theatres had recorded successes towards terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and different prison teams. He mentioned terrorist commanders and prison kingpins had been neutralised, rebel networks disrupted, hostages rescued and prison enclaves dismantled.
Idris additionally highlighted operations within the Niger Delta focusing on crude oil theft, unlawful refining and pipeline vandalism, saying the measures had contributed to improved oil manufacturing and the safety of nationwide income.
He mentioned the federal government was inspired by efforts to restore entry to communities and financial actions in areas affected by insecurity.
Addressing gas costs, the minister acknowledged that rising vitality prices had been putting strain on households, companies and the broader financial system. He mentioned governments the world over had been adopting completely different measures to defend their economies and cushion the consequences of upper vitality prices on residents.
Idris maintained that Tinubu remained dedicated to the financial reforms launched by his administration whereas recognising the necessity to defend public welfare.
According to him, the federal government’s strategy consists of increasing inexpensive vitality options, strengthening home manufacturing and creating circumstances for sustainable reductions in the price of residing.
Science Minister: President Deserves Second Term
Meanwhile, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Udeh, has defended Tinubu’s quest for a second time period in workplace, sustaining that the president deserves to keep for an additional 4 years to full his financial reforms.
Udeh, who’s a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, whereas showing on Arise News Prime Time, insisted that Tinubu has the potential to lead Nigeria out of the woods.
He backed the place that the presidency stays within the southern a part of the nation until 203, consistent with energy rotation association.
Alluding to the challenges that Tinubu is getting from fellow southerners who’re flying the presidential banners of opposition events, the minister mentioned that the South-west ought to retain it given that he’s from that zone.
Udeh acknowledged that the South-east area has not produced Nigeria’s elected president however acknowledged that he believed that it could finally occur at a time sooner or later. However, he added that successful the presidency would finally rely on engagements throughout Nigeria’s areas, and successful votes from throughout Nigeria.
When requested what argument the ruling APC was advancing for Tinubu’s re-election, Udeh mentioned the president, who continues to be in his first time period, had initiated reforms that had been starting to produce optimistic outcomes.
“Well, (the argument) is that Mr. President is in his first term, and has started reforms that are beginning to make a positive impact in the lives of Nigerians. It is not yet fully realised, but you can even tell that we are no longer as bad as we were in 2023, 2024,” he added.
To buttress his argument the minister cited statistics on Nigeria’s financial progress, saying the nation has moved from about 2 per cent progress in 2023 to about 4 per cent presently. He additionally argued that elevated income accessible to sub-national governments was creating alternatives for states and native governments to undertake improvement tasks.
Referencing Enugu State, Udeh acknowledged that developments recorded within the Coal City State up to now in infrastructure and transportation have been unprecedented.
On the argument that the financial progress that the federal government is pointing to had not essentially translated into improved residing requirements for extraordinary Nigerians, Udeh acknowledged that inflation and hardship had been but to abate.
“We know that there’s inflation. We know that there’s still hardship. But we also know that Nigeria has been put on the track for development, to come out from economic hardship,” the minister mentioned.
