President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marked his second anniversary in office on 29 May 2025. We requested a one-on-one with him, but Aso Rock asked for a list of our questions. Below are the President’s answers to some of the questions on his reforms, infrastructure, agriculture, security, the swelling APC membership, ECOWAS at 50, and what Nigerians are to expect from his administration
Mr. President, you were at the Vatican recently to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. A lot of people have praised the gesture. As a Muslim, why did you decide to lead the Federal Government Delegation?
The Pope extended the courtesy of an invitation to me, as the President of Nigeria, one of the nations invited, as part of the broader message of interfaith relationships we practise in Nigeria.
More importantly, the attendance signifies a deeper level of interfaith dialogue and recognition beyond simple religious diplomacy. It demonstrates a commitment to seeing beyond religious differences to the broader essence of humanity, which is building a global community knitted together by love and friendship rather than strife and division.
Muslims and Christians can and should build durable bridges of trust, mutual respect, and collaboration. After all, as a Muslim, I am married to a devout Christian
You assumed office two years ago during grave economic uncertainty. Two years down the line, are you satisfied with the state of the economy today?
This is the wrong question. A better question is, after two years in office, do I think we have made the right policy choices and that the economy is moving in the right direction? My answer is yes.
Our manifesto diagnoses and prognoses our situation, and the Renewed Hope Agenda states the pillars and themes of the interventions.
Specifically, I promised a speedy resolution to the subsidies for petrol and the multiple foreign exchange rates. The government moved swiftly to address the ‘twin’ challenges, which were draining the government’s finances and enriching a few close to the corridors of power. Today, our finances are in a healthier condition than in 2023. The economic shock therapy was painful but necessary to reset the federal government’s finances and prepare the Nigerian economy for sustained growth. I have an unwavering commitment to seeing Nigerians live better lives, but sometimes, the hard way is the only way to progress.
The macroeconomic numbers bear this out, and we expect the overall effect to reach our people at the microeconomic end. We are not even waiting until that happens. The Federal Executive Council, which I chair, recently approved Medipool, which will buy medicines and other health products in bulk and make them available to our people at affordable prices. We also plan to set up commodity boards to help moderate food prices.
Your decision to remove fuel subsidies and eliminate multiple forex exchange windows was praised as bold and courageous. However, this decision also led to high inflation and a sharp increase in the cost of living for Nigerians. With hindsight, would you have acted differently, considering the enormous economic pressure on Nigerians?
Before I came into office in 2023, I was clear that subsidies on consumption were harmful to the economy. I do not condemn all subsidies, especially those on production, to support output and employment. Still, this should happen when markets fail or economic realities make subsidies inevitable.
Would I remove subsidies again with the benefit of hindsight? Yes, I would. It was necessary for the health of the nation.
Subsidy removal has helped reduce the federal government’s fiscal pressures and restore public finance stability. This should gradually reduce public sector borrowing and lead to a steady fall in interest rates. The complementary Central Bank’s (CBN’s) monetary policy helps to keep annual headline inflation in check, which, with increased productivity, will begin to moderate.
We see this in the fall of the inflation rate to 23,71% in April 2025, down from 34.19% in June 2024. The situation will improve as more of our fiscal policies impact the domestic economy.
The macroeconomic indicators are indeed showing positives, but Nigerians say they have yet to feel the impact of the reforms. What is your government doing to accelerate delivery and ease the citizens’ cost of living?
I have addressed this issue earlier. But let me reassure our countrymen and women that this administration is committed to improving the standard of living of Nigerian households. Our macroeconomic policies are expected to yield significant benefits to Nigerian households in the months ahead. We are sure that over the next few months, Nigerians will see an improvement in their living standards despite the disruptions in some parts of the country.
These short-term pains will yield long-term gains. Nigerians’ resilience and perseverance during the difficult phase will surely be rewarded.
We are already witnessing rising commitments to foreign direct investments (FDIs). Investors say Nigeria is now investible because of our reforms. According to the recent Central Bank of Nigeria report, the trade surplus in January 2025 was US$2.2 billion, up from US$1.1 billion in December 2024.
Weeds grow faster than fruit trees or crops. I assure you that the end goal of our economic plans is the upliftment of each citizen.
Rebuilding and repositioning the economy will take some time, but my administration is focused on staying the course. The uncertainty we experienced has given way to optimism and a renewed commitment to ramp up the momentum for improved living standards across the country.
Last year, you announced that 500,000 hectares of land would be cultivated to increase food production in the country.
How far have you gone in delivering this, working with state governors?
We are making progress and collaborating with each state government. As you may be aware, not all state governments can afford to dedicate 500,000 square hectares of land to agriculture, as different states are uniquely sized. For example, Lagos State (3,577 square km) is too small to commit large arable land to agriculture because the required land size is unavailable. Yet, Lagos has been innovative in their commitment to the broader goal of food security.
Different arrangements are being adopted state-by-state, and we are assessing the situation to make improvements where necessary and offer support from a national food security standpoint. We are also encouraging interstate cooperation in the agricultural ecosystem.
We did dry-season and wet-season farming with wheat, maize, rice, cassava, millet, and other staples in Jigawa State and other states in the north. Part of the reason food prices are coming down is that we had good harvests from many states.
Livestock Development is a significant focus of your administration as part of food security measures. When you were in Brazil last year for the G20 Summit, you met with the executives of JBS S.A., one of the largest meat processing companies in the world, which wants to invest over $2.5 billion in Nigeria. How far has the government gone in attracting this investment?
The Brazilian company will invest in the country, but such a significant investment requires professionals to put together a detailed investment dealbook. They sent some of their people to Nigeria early this year to begin bringing their investment. The investment will be a game-changer in helping us modernise animal husbandry in Nigeria and solve the age-long farmers-herders problem with its attendant security crisis. Investments of this nature can take some time and require negotiations with specific communities and certain government agencies and ministries. The Ministries of Agriculture and Livestock Development are at the top of what we do with the Brazilian government.
Before the money is committed, the company will be required to produce an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and other technical reports, and we support this transparent process.
It is standard global practice to experience a gap between project announcement and investment commitment. Our task is to eliminate red tape to ensure the investment commitment materialises.
Since you assumed office, you have embarked on numerous foreign travels to attract investments, and as of the last count, over $50b in investment commitments have been announced. Two years later, how many of these commitments have fully crystallised into the economy?
As my earlier answer showed, project announcements and investment commitments do not happen simultaneously. Investors require time to conclude their studies, arrange funding, sign enforceable agreements, etc. We are tracking these and will provide periodic updates to reinforce confidence in our investment
commitment announcements. You will recall that I went to China in September 2024; we also got many commitments from the Chinese government and businesses. To ensure we actualise all the investment promises and reap the benefits of our strategic relationship with China, I appointed a well-experienced person to be the Czar of Nigeria-China relations.
Some of the critics of the government have identified a lack of coordination in your government as a significant reason for the slow pace of service delivery. As you enter the second half of your tenure, how do you ensure your ministers and other appointees perform better and deliver faster results?
This is not true. Our government is coordinated and deliberate, and several achievements have been recorded in two years. For example, the fiscal and monetary authorities have structured and regular meetings to assess policy impacts and adjust quickly. This has resulted in improvements in macroeconomic outcomes, as was mentioned earlier.
The foreign exchange market has been harmonised for the first time in several years; there are no longer Ways and Means breaches. Further, the Industry, Trade and Investment Ministry has a well-coordinated agenda with the Ministry of Finance and other ministries in agriculture, mining, and the marine and blue economy.
Where they occur, the gaps in execution are more pronounced and often blown out of proportion, but we see them as a learning opportunity to improve the administration’s focus.
Security is still a significant problem and concern for Nigerians. With the recent upsurge in terror attacks in Borno by Boko Haram and kidnappers’ bandits’ activities across the country, can you say with confidence that your administration is winning the battle against insecurity in the country?
We are winning the battle against the terrorists, bandits and kidnappers. According to reports from the National Security Adviser, the security chiefs, and the Minister of Defence, peace and stability are being restored to communities abandoned for years in many parts of the North East. A significant number of the Boko Haram terrorists and bandits, and their commanders, have been eliminated. More than 10,000 abducted Nigerians have been rescued from their abductors. We are making good progress, even though some of the narratives in the media and social media sometimes are not salutary to the exploits and battlefield victories of our gallant men and women who work daily to keep us safe. Security is a priority area for this administration. To demonstrate our seriousness, we are setting up Forest Guards to flush out bandits and kidnappers who have made them their homes. We recognise that sustained local and foreign investment requires a secure operating environment to do business. Therefore, we are working with the appropriate government agencies to improve the country’s security. We are equipping the military, police and other security agencies with the necessary hardware and platforms to do better. We also motivate them by paying adequate attention to their welfare.
No development occurs amid chaos and strife, so we will do what is necessary to calm the storm. Nigerians will see the results of our efforts to reestablish confidence and trust in the environment.
You are the Chairman of ECOWAS, and in its 50 years of existence, Nigeria has been a significant force within the subregion and Africa. Given recent trade tariffs declared by President Trump and other geopolitical tensions, how are you navigating these and ensuring Nigeria remains a strong voice on the global stage?
ECOWAS has a clear mandate to restore the subregion to economic prominence through coordinated regional investments and policy coordination.
Under Nigeria’s leadership, this is happening. The region is a repository of some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon deposits, arable agricultural land, and the most scenic locations on the planet. We intend to use these resources to improve regional living standards, enhance collective security, and encourage subregional investments and the movement of people and goods.
Admittedly, the process has been historically slow. Still, we are putting in place the building blocks of accelerated subregional growth and development, including intra-regional trade through integrated payment systems, revised tariffs, and improved port and border protocols. We are working to equally deepen democracy and entrench good governance so that governments in the region can substantially deliver good service to the people.
We are equally taking measures to handle geopolitical transitions and geoeconomic shifts. We are confident that our policy outcomes will strengthen national and regional economies in Africa.
The continent becomes a more central feature of our economic strategy over the next few years.
In terms of critical infrastructure, the country needs to drive economic development. What are the key projects Nigerians should look forward to their completion in the next two years of your administration?
Several key projects are in the works, with many iron rods in the furnace to ensure that we deliver the infrastructure base needed to transform our economy and release the latent potential of our productive people. We provide tangible projects and complete inherited projects from the Buhari administration. The APC administration of President Buhari embarked on large-scale infrastructure projects across key sectors – energy, roads, ports, airports and rail. We must thank President Buhari for his massive investment in infrastructural renewal. Our administration has focused on completing all the ongoing projects and starting major legacy projects like the Lagos-Calabar and Sokoto-Badagry highways. These were road projects meant to open up the country. They were conceived in the 1970s. They were never done. The two projects will connect 18 states and open up new economic opportunities and growth for our people. Our administration is committed to sustaining investment in these projects. We will have completed the Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge rail project within the next two years. Work has been going on nonstop since we assumed office. The Kano-Kastina-Maradi rail project is moving on well. The Minister of Transportation assured that these two critical rail projects will be completed within 15-18 months. On May 31, I will be commissioning some completed road projects. Among them are Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Lekki Deep Sea Port Tax Credit Concrete Road, the flag-off of Section II of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, and the 7th Axial Road.
I will also commission the Kano-Kanwar-Danja-Hadejiya Section II Road and Yakasai-Zalli Road and flag off the Kano Northern By-pass, Zaria-Hunkuyi-Dabai Section I, Dabai-Kafur Malumfashi, and Malumfashi-Dayi-Yashe-Gidan Mutum Daya Section III, among others. Nyesom Wike, my landlord in Abuja, has lined up 19 projects for me to commission in the FCT. I don’t know yet how I will cope with the schedules. No one who has been to Abuja in the last two years won’t acknowledge the remarkable transformation that is taking place.
We must accelerate the delivery of our country’s critical economic infrastructure and be creative with funding. According to the World Bank, the government requires an estimated $3 trillion over 30 years to bridge this gap. This recognition has led us to focus on an infrastructural investment approach that will deliver the infrastructure base for lives and livelihoods to thrive.
A week ago at the National Summit of your party, APC, the party leadership, its 22 Governors and the leadership of the National Assembly endorsed you for re-election in 2027. What does this mean to you, Mr. President? And some commentators would say the endorsement is akin to jumping the gun when INEC has not signalled the commencement of the 2027 election processes. How would you react, Mr. President?
If you followed all that transpired at our National Summit, you would have heard that the party leadership, the governors, and the APC leadership caucus in the National Assembly gave their reasons for endorsing me as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. And it is that they are satisfied. They expressed satisfaction with our performance in just two years in office and would want that exemplary performance to continue beyond the first term.
I also responded at the summit. I want to repeat here again that I thank them for the confidence reposed in me. And I will continue to deliver on my mandate as President of Nigeria with renewed vigour. The endorsements mean to me that they are an affirmation of the good work our team has done so far, a testament to good performance. We will not rest on our laurels. I will continue to work towards the full recovery of the Nigerian economy and economic growth and development that will impact the quality of life of our people and usher in prosperity.
On whether we are jumping the gun? What is jumping the gun in our party, taking stock of our administration’s two years in office? That is what we have done. We gathered–governors, party leaders, those of us in the Executive, National Assembly members and others– to assess our journey thus far. Which organ is better placed to lead this assessment and the conversation than the party that birthed our administration? They have assessed my team and me and given us a clean bill of health for another term in office. We are not campaigning for an election, and we have not broken any rule that governs electoral campaigns. Those in opposition are going about their business, plotting and forming a coalition against me, even though they almost exchanged blows at their last meeting in Abuja.
What about the growing tendency towards a one-party state, which may be counterproductive in a multiethnic and multicultural society like ours?
One-party state? That is the sing-song of the opposition groups. Alignments and realignments are not new in politics. That is the game. Let me put the question back to you: what is wrong with one-partyism? What is wrong with one-partyism if the party is working in the people’s interest, instilling the required changes on the economic landscape, and we are all witnessing the signs of progress and the imminent dawn of posterity? Again, like I said at the APC summit, our constitution allows freedom of movement and association. It’s part of the inalienable rights of our people. And as a government, we have not in any way circumscribed this right. It’s a free entry and free exit. So, how do you blame people for leaving a sinking ship when they don’t have life jackets? You can’t blame them. As I said, our party welcomes the people coming in. In politics, you work to add to your number; you don’t chase people away. Those who still want to reach out are welcome. We are expecting more to come.