President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the sacrifices they have endured over three years of sweeping economic reforms have not been in vain.

He revealed this in his statement to mark his third year in office, thanking Nigerians for bearing the cost of what he described as unavoidable structural adjustments.

While acknowledging the pressures of his reforms on families, workers and young people, the Nigeria leader insisted that the foundation for national recovery had been laid.

According to him, at the height of the subsidy regime, Nigeria spent as much as 18.4 billion naira daily to sustain petrol subsidies with over 4 trillion naira in 2022 alone; viable resources that could have been invested in roads, healthcare, education, housing, and critical infrastructure.

Acknowledging the heavy cost of the reforms on ordinary Nigerians, the President said the decisions came with sacrifice as the rising cost of living triggered by measures placed enormous pressure on families, workers, and businesses, leaving young job seekers discouraged.

Highlighting his successes, Tinubu revealed that the Nigerian stock market had performed well under his administration.

On infrastructure, Tinubu said the administration had more roads under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation at any one time than any preceding administration. He cited 2,700 kilometres of highways spanning five major corridors, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the East-West Road and numerous rural access roads.

In the oil and gas sector, Tinubu stated reforms had reversed a period of investor flight, and that the long delayed 5 billion naira Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) Train 7 project was nearing completion.

On education, the President said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has reached 1.5 million beneficiaries, disbursing more than 282 billion naira to students who would otherwise have been priced out of higher education.

On housing, the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and the Federal Housing Authority together, is delivering over 10,000 housing units across 14 states and the FCT, creating over 300,000 jobs and expanding access to affordable housing, with major cities being developed in Abuja, Lagos and Kano.

He noted that the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) was opening new economic opportunities for workers and families, and that thousands of primary healthcare centres were being revitalized while health insurance coverage was expanding.

On electricity, Tinubu who acknowledged the sector’s depth of dysfunction argued that his administration is confronting the challenges head-on and clearing legacy obligations, expanding transmission infrastructure, investing in renewable energy, and strengthening the national grid because no modern economy can grow in darkness.

He also cited the stabilization of the telecommunications sector as a significant but underappreciated achievement, because Telecom operators are expanding networks, investing in infrastructure, recruiting Nigerian talent, and widening digital access across the country. 

On security Tinubu who conceded that challenges remained, insisted that progress was being recorded in various parts of the country because the Armed Forces and security agencies have intensified operations against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and criminal networks.

He appealed for national cohesion and patience, drawing on the broader arc of Nigeria’s history insisting that great nations are not built in comfort but built through sacrifice, resilience, courage, and collective purpose.

He encouraged Nigerians to reject cynicism and division and move forward together, united in purpose, disciplined in effort, compassionate toward one another, and confident in the greatness that lies ahead.