Not since the days of our independence has Nigeria stood so firmly on the path of national rebirth as it does today. When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, he inherited a nation and government weighed down by economic mismanagement, dwindling public trust, entrenched corruption, and a deep sense of uncertainty about its future. Yet, in barely two years since taking the reins of our battered and doubting nation, the President has set it on an irreversible course of renewal.

He has done what many before him dared not do—breaking, in no small measure, the chains of entrenched corruption, confronting the ghosts of bad economic policy, and laying the structural foundations for a Nigeria that works for all, not just for a privileged few.

His government is not one of timid half-measures but of bold, deliberate actions. Through these bold and often politically risky decisions, Mr President has begun the painstaking work of rebuilding a nation, rekindling the hopes of its people, and restoring the confidence that Nigeria can rise from the brink of decline to the heights of its long-promised destiny.

From his earliest days in office, he signalled there would be no business as usual. The removal of the long-draining fuel subsidy, the unification of multiple foreign exchange rates, and the enforcement of fiscal discipline were not merely policy shifts—they were structural overhauls aimed at correcting decades of distortions that had kept Nigeria shackled to underperformance. These reforms, though not without initial pains, have set the stage for sustainable economic recovery.

The results are beginning to speak for themselves. Nigeria’s quarterly GDP in 2025 recorded a healthy 3.13 per cent growth—a marked departure from the stagnation of recent years. Oil production has steadily risen, oil theft is being tackled head-on, and the nation’s macroeconomic fundamentals are strengthening. Global financial institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, and major credit rating agencies have openly acknowledged the country’s turnaround trajectory.

The Financial Times recently described Tinubu’s reforms as the “shock therapy” Nigeria needed to exit prolonged economic paralysis. These acknowledgements are echoed by eminent Nigerians across political and ideological divides. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, commended the President for stabilising the economy and steering it towards growth, noting that no real progress can be made without macroeconomic stability.

She emphasised that the next phase should consolidate these gains with growth-oriented policies and social safety nets for those most affected by the changes. Under Tinubu’s watch, initiatives such as the Women Exporters Fund have been launched, directly empowering hundreds of female entrepreneurs with finance and technical support to scale their businesses and contribute to national growth.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, himself a respected economist of global repute, declared without equivocation that Tinubu’s audacious reforms had “rescued the economy from the tipping point” and restored Nigeria’s public finances to solvency. He called for a moral and ethical renewal to match the economic rebirth, urging Nigerians to reclaim the values of hard work, honesty, and patriotism.

From the business world, figures such as Tony Elumelu have noted the renewed attractiveness of Nigeria as an investment destination, citing the policy clarity and discipline that now strengthen governance foundations.

Even critical voices such as Senator Shehu Sani have acknowledged that the structural changes and policy direction are necessary to break the cycle of decline, while urging that their human impact be mitigated through targeted relief.

Across the regions, the effects of Tinubu’s leadership are beginning to manifest. In agriculture, renewed policy clarity and improved security in food-producing zones are enabling modest rebounds in output. In infrastructure, stalled projects are being revived with a commitment to completion, while the newly created Ministry of Livestock is set to transform pastoral farming—particularly in the North—into a modern, revenue-generating sector. Oil revenue leakages are being plugged, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company is under unprecedented pressure to operate transparently and remit earnings directly to the Federation Account.

These bold steps have frustrated and crippled a motley crowd of disgruntled, thieving career politicians. The most vocal of this crowd have constituted themselves into political opponents, pretending to be champions of the people. Far from it—they are political profiteers, charlatans masquerading as reformers, united only by their frustration that Tinubu has dismantled their long-running systems of plunder. For decades, they treated Nigeria’s commonwealth

Now that the taps of corruption are being closed, they cry foul, forming opportunistic “coalitions” that are nothing more than alliances of self-interest for unabated theft of our commonwealth. Their bitterness is not about the welfare of Nigerians but about the end of their unfettered access to public wealth. Nigerians must see them for what they are and resist their attempts to drag the nation back into the shadows.

The task of rebuilding a nation is neither quick nor easy. It demands vision, courage, discipline, and the patience to see tough reforms through to their rewards. In the space of just two years, Tinubu has laid the national architecture for a stronger and more resilient Nigeria. If sustained, this trajectory promises to restore Nigeria’s lost glory and secure a prosperous future for generations yet unborn.

This is not the time for cynicism or short-term political calculation; it is the time to consolidate the gains and expand the vision. President Tinubu has lit the torch of transformation—it is now the duty of all well-meaning Nigerians to shield it from the winds of sabotage.

Supporting his administration beyond 2027 is not about politics—it is about ensuring that the emerging greatness we are beginning to see is allowed to flourish until Nigeria fully reclaims her rightful place among the respected nations of the world.

Prof. Enikanselu wrote from Lagos.