Get Guardian on Google• As Tinubu calls Akwa Ibom home, praises Gov Eno
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are laying a solid foundation for a stronger, more productive and prosperous Nigeria, noting that their direction and potential have received recognition from major international economic institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Yilwatda made this known in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, where the state hosted Tinubu and his entourage at a rally at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
Addressing the enthusiastic crowd at the rally, the APC National Chairman said the President’s boldness in confronting longstanding structural challenges reflects the kind of courageous leadership required to reposition Nigeria for sustainable growth and economic prosperity.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda acknowledged that the reforms have demanded difficult adjustments but maintained that abandoning them would amount to reversing the country’s progress and returning to the economic difficulties that necessitated the reforms in the first place.
The APC National Chairman described Tinubu’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy as more than a political aspiration, stressing that it represents a strategic national development target backed by deliberate policy choices and ongoing economic restructuring.
He identified major investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion as critical pillars of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.
Yilwatda particularly highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a landmark infrastructure project that would improve connectivity, stimulate commerce and unlock enormous economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.
He also said the President’s determination to develop Nigeria’s maritime economy would further strengthen the economic competitiveness of coastal states and expand their contribution to national development.
On education and social investment, he commended the student loan initiative for widening access to higher education, while noting that targeted interventions for women and small businesses were creating opportunities for greater economic participation.
He explained that the tax reforms were designed to ease the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, enabling them to retain more of their earnings and operate in a more supportive economic environment.
The APC Chairman also pointed to improved industrial harmony in educational institutions and the administration’s efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises as important milestones.
He urged Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, declaring: “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.”
Yilwatda maintained that the Tinubu administration’s policies and investments were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity and called on citizens to support the administration’s vision of a stronger and more economically competitive nation.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu described his visit to Akwa Ibom State as a homecoming, recalling his professional years in the state as an auditor with Mobil.
He inaugurated the new international terminal building at the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, commending Governor Umo Eno for sustaining the vision behind the aviation project.
Tinubu said his longstanding connection with Akwa Ibom made the visit particularly significant, describing the completion of the airport terminal as the fulfilment of a vision initiated by previous administrations and brought to reality through continuity in governance.
“This is a homecoming for me. I worked here in Akwa Ibom as an auditor in Mobil. I am happy to inaugurate the airport named after a colleague who had served this state very well. This is the fulfilment of a vision, from vision to reality. That speaks well of continuity and having a successor,” the President said.
He particularly praised Eno for sustaining the airport project and securing the necessary federal approval for international flight operations, describing him as a leader of conscience, commitment and vision.
“Governor Umo Eno, you are a great man of conscience, commitment and vision for continuing this airport and making it a reality today. When you approached me for permission to grant international flight operations, I didn’t hesitate. I read the memo and gave my consent,” Tinubu said.
