A national advocacy and communication initiative, Tinubu Must Stay (TMS), has called for continuity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, saying the reforms introduced since 2023 require further implementation to achieve their intended long-term outcomes.

The National Convener of the group, Engr Ibrahim Una during a press briefing yesterday in Abuja to commemorate the 6th Independence celebration said the group was established to promote its position through facts, data and public engagement.

He acknowledged that although the removal of the petrol subsidy and foreign exchange reforms had imposed substantial costs on households, resulting in higher living, transportation and energy costs but said public assessment of the administration should take into account its measurable outcomes, unresolved challenges and longer-term objectives.

On the economy, the group cited National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures showing that Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and 3.89 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.

It also noted that headline inflation stood at 15.39 per cent in August 2026, compared with 15.43 per cent in July, said the moderation in inflation did not mean that prices had fallen, noting that households continued to face rising prices, although at a slower rate.

In education, the group said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had reported that more than 1.5 million students benefited from the student-loan programme by June, with over N282 billion disbursed.

It added that the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme had trained more than 160,000 fellows across three cohorts, while about 1.87 million people had registered or were in its broader pipeline.

The group also cited the National Health Fellows Programme, which it said had deployed young Nigerians across the 774 local government areas to support healthcare delivery, accountability and health-sector reforms.

It said the NG-CARES programme had reached more than 15 million Nigerians, while its expanded phase was expected to support vulnerable households, smallholder farmers and small businesses.

On infrastructure, TMS said more than 2,700 kilometres of highways and major roads were under construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and East-West Road.

It noted that the figure covered projects at different stages of implementation and did not represent completed roads.

The group further said the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and Federal Housing Authority projects had delivered more than 10,000 housing units across the country, with over 300,000 jobs projected or associated with the programme.

On transportation, it said more than 120,000 vehicles had been converted to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), supported by over 400 certified conversion centres and more than 90 refuelling stations.

It, however, said the challenge was to ensure that the expanding CNG infrastructure translated into meaningful reductions in transportation costs for Nigerians.

TMS said President Tinubu had urged state governments to accelerate CNG deployment and ensure that lower operating costs were reflected in passenger fares.

The group said agricultural interventions had also covered fertiliser distribution, improved seedlings, mechanisation, irrigation, finance and market access, with millions of farmers reached through various programmes.

On security, TMS acknowledged that terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other violent crimes remained major challenges. He said that security operators had been intensified, adding that progress should ultimately be measured by improvements in the safety of communities, highways, farms and businesses.

The group said statistics alone cannot erase hardship and that government programmes should be assessed based on their actual impact on citizens rather than announcements or expenditure.

It said citizens should continue to question government, verify claims, scrutinise policies and demand results, while achievements should be acknowledged where supported by evidence.

“As Nigeria marks 66 years of Independence, TMS holds the view that reforms initiated over the past three years require continuity and further implementation to deliver their intended long-term outcomes,” the statement said.