The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they are laying the foundation for a stronger and more productive Nigerian economy.
Yilwatda also said the direction and potential of the reforms had received recognition from major international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The APC chairman made the remarks in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during a rally attended by Tinubu and other party leaders at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Addressing supporters, Yilwatda said the President’s willingness to tackle longstanding structural challenges demonstrated the kind of leadership required to reposition the country for sustainable economic growth.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda acknowledged that the reforms had required difficult adjustments but warned that abandoning them would reverse the country’s progress.
He argued that returning to previous economic policies could plunge Nigeria back into the difficulties that necessitated the reforms.
The APC chairman described Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy as more than a political aspiration, saying it represented a strategic national development target supported by policy decisions and ongoing economic restructuring.
He identified investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion as key pillars of the administration’s economic agenda.
Yilwatda particularly highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, describing it as a major infrastructure project expected to improve connectivity, stimulate commerce and create economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.
He also said the administration’s efforts to develop Nigeria’s maritime economy could strengthen the competitiveness of coastal states and increase their contribution to national development.
On education and social investment, the APC chairman praised the student loan initiative, saying it was expanding access to higher education.
He also pointed to targeted interventions for women and small businesses as measures intended to create more opportunities for economic participation.
According to him, the tax reforms were designed to reduce the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, allowing them to retain more of their income and operate in a more supportive business environment.
Yilwatda further cited improved industrial relations in educational institutions and efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises as notable achievements of the administration.
He urged Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, warning against reversing the policies introduced by the Tinubu government.
“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,” he said.
Yilwatda maintained that the administration’s policies and investments were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity and called on citizens to support its vision of a stronger and more economically competitive country.
