President Tinubu Delivers 66th Independence Day Speech
*Tinubu at 66: Emergency Treatment Over, Age of Prosperity Begins*
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday declared that Nigeria has moved beyond the most difficult phase of his administration's economic reforms, saying the country is now entering an "age of prosperity."
In his Independence Day broadcast titled *"From Reform To Prosperity"* to mark Nigeria's 66th anniversary, the President said the past three years were spent correcting long-standing economic distortions.
"The emergency treatment is over. The foundation has been repaired," Tinubu said. "For three years, our overriding purpose was to correct our nation's course. Now, our purpose is simple: shared and widespread prosperity."
Defending the removal of fuel subsidy and other reforms introduced in 2023, Tinubu likened Nigeria's economy to a cancer patient. He said previous leaders chose "morphine" – cheap fuel and FX subsidies – while avoiding real treatment.
"For too long, Nigeria's leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came. We chose to excise the cancer," he said. "Our reforms did not create the weaknesses. They confronted them."
The President warned against calls for return to subsidies, calling them "influential but regressive voices" and said Nigeria has "passed through our own Red Sea. No going back."
Citing economic gains, he said Nigeria's economy grew by over 4% in 2026, inflation has fallen substantially, oil theft is down, foreign reserves rebuilt, FX market stabilized, and non-oil exports hit a record $6 billion in 2025.
Tinubu said his priority now is lowering cost of living by cutting cost of producing and moving goods, expanding mechanised irrigation, dry-season farming, storage, roads, rail and ports.
"No looking back. Our destination is in sight," he declared.
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