Nigeria at 66: Tinubu Says Reform Phase Is Over, Declares Start of “Age of Prosperity”

President Bola Tinubu has declared that the most difficult phase of his administration’s economic reforms is over. Speaking in his Independence Day broadcast on Thursday, October 1, 2026, he said Nigeria has moved from an “age of reform” into an “age of prosperity.”

The address, themed “From Reform to Prosperity,” marked Nigeria’s 66th year of independence. The celebrations were low-key this year, and the president’s broadcast was the central event of the day.

“The Emergency Treatment Is Over”

Tinubu said the reforms did not create Nigeria’s economic weaknesses but confronted problems that earlier administrations had postponed. He said the “emergency treatment” is over and that the government’s main task has shifted from correcting the country’s economic course to delivering shared and widespread prosperity.

He supported the claim with several figures:

• Economic growth of more than four per cent this year
• Lower inflation
• Rebuilt foreign reserves
• A more stable foreign exchange market
• Last year’s (2025) non-oil export revenue, the highest ever recorded, above $6 billion

On the petrol subsidy, he ruled out a return to the regime that was removed in 2023.

A Focus on Cost of Living and Jobs

Looking ahead, the president said his administration will concentrate on bringing down the cost of living by reducing the cost of producing and transporting goods. He also promised to make jobs, enterprise and industrial growth central to the next phase.

Agriculture featured prominently. Tinubu said the government is expanding mechanised irrigation and dry-season farming, improving access to seeds and fertiliser, increasing mechanisation, and investing in storage and transportation.

He described the government’s welfare programmes as a bridge toward prosperity, not a substitute for it.

Acknowledging Continued Hardship

The president did not claim that the pressure on households has ended. He acknowledged that some Nigerian families still struggle to afford their next meal, school fees, medical bills, or even the transport fare to get to work.

Background

Tinubu’s message echoes his Independence Day address last year, when he said the worst of the reforms was over and that their results were beginning to show. This year’s speech goes a step further by announcing a new phase of governance.

What Comes Next

The coming months should show how the new priorities translate into practice, including movement in inflation and food prices, job creation, and details of the planned agriculture and cost-of-living measures.