Tinubu’s policies will guarantee collective prosperity in 2027 — Minister

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has assured Nigerians that policies to be introduced by President Bola Tinubu in 2027 will be geared towards ensuring collective prosperity, as she defended the administration’s ongoing economic reforms.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim gave the assurance on Tuesday at a national press conference organised by the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement ahead of the launch of a book titled The Courage to Reform: Architecture of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR — Beyond 2027: Statecraft, Vision for National Renewal, which examines the President’s reform agenda over the past three years.

Describing the reforms across various sectors of the economy as necessary and courageous, the minister said Tinubu had chosen to confront longstanding economic challenges inherited from successive administrations rather than pass them on to future generations.

She recalled that the President inherited difficult economic decisions when he assumed office on May 29, 2023, particularly concerning the cost of the petrol subsidy and a tax system she said placed disproportionate burdens on the people it was meant to protect.

“When Mr President took the oath of office on 29 May 2023, he inherited hard choices that could no longer wait. A petrol subsidy was draining the resources meant for our schools, our hospitals and our roads, and our tax system weighed most heavily on the people it should have protected. He could have passed the problem to the next generation. He chose to confront it,” she said.

Acknowledging the economic hardship Nigerian families had experienced following the reforms, Sulaiman-Ibrahim maintained that the sacrifices made by citizens would not be in vain, citing improvements in external reserves, easing inflation and renewed confidence in the Nigerian economy as signs of progress.

“Those decisions came at a cost, and Nigerian families have felt it. No one in this government takes that sacrifice lightly, least of all Mr President. But I say to you today, with conviction, that the sacrifice is not in vain. The results are beginning to show,” she stated.

The minister identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the new tax laws and financial autonomy for local governments as some of the measures intended to extend the benefits of reform to ordinary Nigerians.

According to her, the education loan scheme is opening up opportunities for students from less privileged backgrounds, while the tax reforms are designed to protect low-income earners and small businesses from excessive tax burdens.

“Just as the book clearly highlights that the tax reform is in favour of the low-income earners, the tax reform was designed so that those who earn little carry the least of the burden,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim subsequently assured Nigerians that the administration’s policies in 2027 would focus on shared prosperity, adding that the government would continue to address the difficulties faced by households as the reforms progressed.

“Whatever policies Mr President will introduce come 2027 will be towards ensuring our collective prosperity,” she declared.

On concerns about Nigeria’s increasing borrowing, the minister argued that the country required substantial investment in productive sectors, infrastructure and critical systems to address years of underinvestment and accelerate economic development.

“Show me a country that has developed, that has a strong economy, that is not in debt. I think the most indebted country in the world is the United States of America. And they’re still borrowing,” she said.

She, however, stressed that borrowed funds must be directed towards projects capable of generating economic benefits, insisting that the administration’s borrowing decisions were deliberate and intended to support national development.

“We should be sensitive to the fact that we’re still underinvested in the country and we need more resources. And when we borrow, we put it in places whereby we can see a lot of economic gains in them. So everything is being done deliberately, not blindly,” she said.

The minister also acknowledged that the benefits of some government policies and announcements might not be immediate, explaining that implementation often required time, funding arrangements and coordination among relevant institutions.

Responding to questions about the implementation of promised measures, she said government announcements did not necessarily translate into immediate action, adding that the administration was working towards fulfilling its commitments.

“Everything Mr President has promised, most of them have come to pass and this one too, if it’s not come to pass, it will come to pass shortly,” she said.

On concerns over reports that the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria had increased from 14 million to 20 million, Sulaiman-Ibrahim acknowledged the challenge but pointed to government interventions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and early childhood education.

She said the administration had increased its focus on skills development and early learning, adding that efforts were being coordinated across government to improve educational opportunities and address the factors preventing children from accessing education.

“In the last three years, Mr President has done a lot to ensure that we’re not just addressing contemporary and conventional education, but we’re also creating pathways for people to deploy their skills. STEM education has gotten the right kind of priority. TVET has gotten a 360 degrees attention from every level of governance, from the national level to the state level,” she said.

The minister further urged Nigerians to assess the administration based on its policies and measurable outcomes rather than political rhetoric, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

She called on the media to provide factual information about the reforms and their implementation, maintaining that sustained efforts were required to ensure that the benefits reached households across the country.

“As 2027 approaches, the national debate will grow louder. Let it also grow wiser, and let it rest on facts. I urge you, the press, to carry those facts to every corner of this country. Our leader and father has shown the courage to reform. It is now our shared duty to see these reforms through. Nigeria is on the road to renewal, and we will not turn back,” she said.

The book launch is expected to feature President Tinubu as the Special Guest of Honour, with business leaders Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu serving as Chief Launcher and Co-Chief Launcher, respectively. High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is the Chief Host, while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is the host. The Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, state governors and other distinguished leaders are also expected to attend.