The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, has said the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration have strengthened the capacity of the federal and state governments to finance critical development projects across the country.

Malagi stated this in Jalingo during his visit to Taraba State, where he engaged government officials and local media practitioners on the policies and programmes of the federal government.

According to the minister, the reforms have created additional fiscal space for the various tiers of government to invest in infrastructure, education and other critical sectors of the economy.

He particularly defended the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the policy had enabled government to redirect resources previously spent on subsidy payments to developmental programmes.

Malagi said the Tinubu administration inherited a challenging economic situation, noting that several states were struggling to meet their salary obligations before the reforms were introduced.

He cautioned that reversing the subsidy policy could undermine the gains being recorded, insisting that increased revenues available to governments were already being reflected in the number of infrastructure projects being executed nationwide.

The minister also highlighted the Federal Government’s interventions in the education sector, saying qualified Nigerian students were being supported regardless of their political, religious or ethnic backgrounds.

He said the objective was to ensure that financial constraints did not deprive young Nigerians of access to quality education and opportunities for self-development.

On the broader economy, Malagi said Nigeria was gradually regaining the confidence of international investors, with improvements recorded in key economic indicators, including foreign exchange reserves and inflation.

He added that the reforms had also improved the country’s relationship with international financial institutions and strengthened Nigeria’s prospects of attracting more investment.

The minister stressed that the Federal Government remained committed to working closely with state governments to tackle security challenges and create a safer environment for economic activities.

He commended the Taraba State Government for its partnership with the Federal Government, saying the cooperation had contributed to the development of the state.

Malagi explained that his decision to engage local media organisations during his nationwide visits was aimed at ensuring that citizens were adequately informed about government policies, reforms and programmes.

Responding, Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, said the state had continued to benefit from the support of the Federal Government under President Tinubu.

Kefas said his administration was implementing policies aligned with the President’s reform agenda while introducing state-specific measures to cushion the effects of economic hardship on residents.

He listed free education, payment of examination fees, regular payment of salaries and implementation of the minimum wage among measures introduced by his administration to ease the economic burden on citizens.

The governor said Taraba had also recorded improvements in security through increased cooperation with federal security agencies, stressing that sustained collaboration was critical to maintaining peace and promoting development.

Kefas expressed support for the proposed establishment of state police, saying the system would further strengthen the government’s capacity to protect lives and property.

As Taraba marks its 35th anniversary, the governor said the state remained determined to consolidate its development gains and position itself to take advantage of greater economic opportunities through continued partnership with the Federal Government.