By Duchess Ifeoluwa
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are laying the foundation for a stronger and more productive Nigerian economy, adding that their direction and potential have received recognition from major international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Yilwatda made the remarks in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where President Tinubu and his entourage attended a rally at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Addressing the crowd, the APC National Chairman said the President’s decision to confront longstanding structural challenges demonstrated the kind of leadership required to reposition the country for sustainable economic growth and prosperity.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda acknowledged that the reforms had come with difficult adjustments but warned that abandoning them would amount to reversing the country’s progress and returning to the economic difficulties that necessitated their introduction.
He described Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy as more than a political aspiration, saying it was a strategic national development target supported by deliberate policy decisions and ongoing economic restructuring.
Yilwatda identified investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion as key pillars of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.
He particularly cited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a major infrastructure project that would improve connectivity, stimulate commercial activities and unlock economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.
The APC chairman also said the administration’s drive to develop the country’s maritime economy would enhance the competitiveness of coastal states and expand their contributions to national development.
On education and social investment, he commended the student loan scheme for widening access to higher education, while noting that targeted interventions for women and small businesses were creating opportunities for increased economic participation.
He further explained that the tax reforms were designed to reduce the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, allowing them to retain more of their earnings and operate in a more supportive business environment.
Yilwatda also highlighted what he described as improved industrial harmony in educational institutions and the administration’s efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises.
He urged Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, declaring: “Never again should Nigeria return to Egypt. We cannot afford to abandon the difficult but necessary work of rebuilding our economy and repositioning our country for sustainable growth.”
The APC National Chairman maintained that the administration’s policies and investments were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity, urging citizens to support its vision of a stronger and more economically competitive nation.
