Hardship: FG to gift 70 million Nigerians N75,000 each

In a bid to cushion the effects of hardship, the federal government has concluded arrangements to distribute N75,000 in cash to 70 million Nigerians.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Hon. Aliyu Audu, in a statement on Sunday, explained that the gesture aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s determination to address the growing poverty in the country.

Audu, who is also the convener of the APC National Stakeholders Forum and APC Rebirth Movement, as well as a past APC Transition Committee member, stated in his 2025 New Year message to the party’s promoters that Tinubu has provided sufficient evidence of performance in just 19 months in office.

Audu said that Tinubu’s bold policies have yielded tangible results at home and abroad, marked by a massive influx of foreign portfolio investments into the country.

He also noted that debt obligations are being met to preserve Nigeria’s corporate integrity among nations.

According to Audu, about 23 per cent of foreign reserves have surged into the country, amounting to $7.69 billion in one year (Year on Year) due to the effective monetary and fiscal policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Government.

He argued that while CBN’s benchmarked interest rate management incentivized foreign exchange inflows, the Federal Government’s improved activities in the non-oil sector and its boosted oil production have transformed fiscal earnings into its coffers.

At the state and local government council levels, Audu noted that significant federation allocations are being received, with some boasting triple increases, enabling improved payments to local contractors while food prices are falling as farmers now have better access to their farms, thanks to increased security by the armed forces.

He added that the President’s bold economic policies continue to garner praise, with food surpluses expected soon following the delivery of 255 tractors to mechanise and transform agriculture. These tractors are being distributed to farmers.

Audu also applauded the government for the repatriation of $52.88 million of looted funds from the United States, stating that it is important for APC promoters to engage more Nigerians this year and market Tinubu’s people-oriented policies ahead of May 29, 2025, as he approaches two years in office.

“The negative rhetoric and antics of opposition politicians misinforming Nigerians about the true state of things are fast evaporating. Nigeria is working by optics. Available credible data shows that President Tinubu’s government is hitting amazing targets, with the World Bank projecting a 3.5 per cent GDP growth for Nigeria’s economy in 2025 and a slight rise to 3.7 per cent in 2026,” he said.

“As Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria’s oil sector saw a significant increase, rising by 6.3 per cent in December 2024 to reach 1.507 million barrels per day, according to the just-released January 2025 Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR). This means the government is hitting higher oil production targets after years of fluctuation.

“It’s a good omen at a time when the Nigeria Customs Service generated N6.105 trillion in 2024, surpassing its revenue collection target by 20.2 per cent. It’s our duty as APC image enhancers to spread these facts in the public space and counter the naysayers and their toxic false narratives.

“This 2025 is crucial in our strategic communication engagement with Nigerians. We must let people know how the President is working. Right now, President Tinubu’s leadership is increasingly sought after in the West African region as ECOWAS chairman and around the world. He was the toast of the day in Ghana as the special guest of honour at President Mahama’s inauguration recently.

“Just days ago, President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) promised to visit Nigeria soon following our president’s request, the first such visit in UAE history. Dubai, in particular, is a preferred home for many Nigerians after the UK.

“Nigeria has indeed gained much in the last 19 months under the Bola Tinubu presidency. He has given us sufficient tools to market his achievements within such a short time.”

Audu made the appeal as a follow-up to a stakeholders’ progressive dialogue that took place from December 19 to 20, 2024, in Abuja, to forge synergy between APC’s promoters and chief executives of the president’s signature programs to boost the party’s support base across the country.

The event, which featured the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Dr. Taiwo Oyedele, Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), Engr. Uzoma Nwagba, MD/CEO of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), Dr. Akintunde Sawyerr, and the Project Director/CEO of the Presidential CNG Initiative (Pi-CNG), Engr. Michael Oluwagbemi, was endorsed by participants.

The dialogue, titled “2-Day Progressive Dialogue on President Bola Tinubu’s Reforms,” was organised by the Presidential Media Team (PMT), the Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), and the Progressive Reforms Advocacy Group (PRAG), with participants drawn from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and surrounding areas.