Renewed Hope Agenda now a reality, touching lives – FG
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, has said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is already impacting lives and will continue to do so in the years ahead.
Idris stated this on Monday at a press conference in Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
He noted that the theme of the anniversary, “All Hands on Deck,” was a call for Nigerians and international partners to support the President’s reforms.
“The 65th Independence, themed: ‘All Hands on Deck,’ is a clarion call to Nigerians and their partners around the world to show understanding and support the landmark reforms of the President,” he said.
The minister said October 1 remained a milestone for the country to reflect on nationhood, assess progress, and rally around a renewed purpose for the future.
Highlighting the administration’s achievements, Idris noted that trade surpluses were expanding through non-oil contributions, while inflation and food prices were declining.
He added that external reserves were increasing, describing these as “eloquent testimony that we are on the right track.”
He disclosed that more than 500,000 tertiary students had already benefitted from the National Education Loan Fund, which covers tuition and upkeep fees, describing it as unprecedented.
Idris said five new regional development commissions had been established under the new Ministry of Regional Development to drive grassroots projects.
He added that the government was advancing road and transport infrastructure, with projects including the 1,068km Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, the 750km Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, and the rehabilitation of the Eastern rail corridor from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.
He also mentioned the revival of the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant and progress on the Siemens-backed Presidential Power Initiative.
“In the oil and gas sector, the progress is equally unprecedented. We have seen a steady increase in oil production to meet our OPEC quota, and an equally steady reduction in oil losses to a 16-year low.
“Gas flaring is also at an all-time low, while new investments are flooding in to scale up gas exploration, processing, and distribution. New investments in deepwater oil and gas exploration have exceeded five billion dollars,” he said.
According to him, the AKK Gas Project and other critical pipelines were progressing, while frontier basin exploration had resumed with drilling at the Kolmani region of Bauchi and Gombe states.
On solid minerals, Idris cited investments such as the $50 million ASBA Lithium Plant in the FCT and the $600 million Avatar Lithium Plant in Nasarawa, which he said had boosted government royalties between 2023 and 2024.
He added that the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture to the tune of ₦1.5 trillion was the most significant boost to agricultural financing in Nigeria.
He said the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development aimed to transform the livestock sector into a globally competitive industry.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 65 years of independence, the minister said the country had been a beacon of hope for its citizens and a rallying point for the Black race, embodying unity, courage, and leadership.
He recalled Nigeria’s role in African liberation movements, the creation of ECOWAS, and peacekeeping contributions through ECOMOG in Liberia and Sierra Leone. He added that Nigeria continued to provide technical assistance to several countries.
“Nigeria had been a vanguard of constitutional governance on the continent, while on the global stage, it had made significant contributions to United Nations peace-keeping missions and recently, agreed with the African Union to provide ‘Strategic Sea Lift Services’ to support peacekeeping, disaster response, and humanitarian operations,” Idris said.
