‘Tinubu Has Laid The Foundation For Nigeria’s Prosperity’ — Deputy Senate President

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for laying what he described as a solid foundation for Nigeria’s future.

He expressed confidence in the President’s leadership, stating that the administration is committed to rebuilding the nation and addressing its long-standing issues.

In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, Senator Barau urged Nigerians to rally behind President Tinubu in his ongoing reform efforts.

According to him, “By May 29, it will be exactly two years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration came on board in the country. Yes, we are not there, and we cannot be in the promised land in less than 23 months when the numerous challenges facing our beloved country have weighed us down for decades. But a journey has started—the road is rough, but it’s for the restoration of our country’s glorious days. It is not easy to rebuild a shattered building.”

Challenges Acknowledged, But Progress Is Underway

Barau acknowledged that the administration inherited a fragile economy, worsened by global disruptions. He noted that many sectors of the nation had suffered from decades of neglect.

He explained, “In the past decades, all spheres of our country—power, road infrastructure, agriculture, education, health, water, housing, and others—have been begging for genuine attention. This is coupled with the fact that this government came on board at the time that the entire world economy was and is still quite turbulent due to the high cost of basic goods and services all over the world arising from Russia-Ukraine, and Israel–Palestine wars. Nigeria is certainly not an exception.”

Despite these challenges, Barau believes the nation is experiencing a breath of fresh air due to the President’s leadership.

“The good news is that the president is genuinely committed to addressing these challenges. Fresh air is already permeating all the country’s spheres, nooks and crannies to the admiration of lovers and good people, irrespective of differences and persuasions,” he stated.

Security Gains and Agricultural Innovation

Senator Barau highlighted improvements in national security under Tinubu’s leadership and described the direction of the administration as both clear and constructive.

“The direction is clear, and the foundation is correctly and solidly laid for our country’s transformation and prosperity,” he said.

He praised the reduction in terrorist activities and kidnappings across the country.

“For instance, admirable success has been recorded in the area of security. Hundreds of terrorists have been neutralised in the North West geopolitical zone. Yes, there are pockets of cases of kidnapping and attacks, but they are minimal compared to before the coming of this administration. The instances of incessant kidnapping on the Abuja/Kaduna road have become history,” Barau noted.

He also observed a decline in the activities of unknown gunmen in the South East and expressed confidence in the Armed Forces’ ability to address the resurgence of attacks in Borno State.

“In the Southeast, the activities of unknown gunmen terrorising the region have been on the downward side. In the North East, Boko Haram was almost completely eradicated until the recent attacks in some parts of Borno State. I am confident that our gallant members of the Armed Forces will act decisively to smoke them out permanently,” he said.

“The people of the remaining five states in the North East live peacefully and conduct their lawful businesses—commendation to our gallant officers and men of the Armed Forces and other sister security agencies.”

SAPZ and Regional Development Initiatives

Barau also welcomed the launch of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), an initiative designed to modernise and industrialise the agricultural sector.

“With the enhanced peace across the country, the Federal government has recently launched phase one of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) to revolutionise and industrialise the agricultural sector. SAPZ aims to transform Nigeria’s agriculture landscape through innovation, private-sector investments and strategic public partnerships,” he stated.

He said the SAPZ will connect farmers with processors, reduce losses, and generate rural employment. States selected for the first phase include Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River and the Federal Capital Territory. Bauchi, Borno, and Gombe are to participate in the second phase.

Barau also spoke highly of the development commissions established for various regions of the country, including the North-West, North Central, South-East, South-West, and South-South.

“With President Tinubu’s establishment of the development commissions, we will witness unprecedented development at the grassroots level,” he said.

He added that the reconstruction of the long-delayed Abuja–Kaduna–Kano highway is now receiving attention.

“Also, the Abuja—Kaduna—Kano highway reconstruction, which dragged on for eight years under the last administration, has been flagged off and is receiving the needed attention.”

Education, Economy, and the Path Forward

On education, Senator Barau described the launch of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a landmark achievement, offering relief to students and their families.

“Thousands of students across the country have benefitted so far, and their parents or guardians have been relieved of the stress of school fees payment,” he said.

Reflecting on the state of the economy inherited by the current administration, Barau commended the President’s efforts to implement reforms and stabilise public finances.

“President Tinubu has been working genuinely to correct the fiscal misalignments. He has attracted foreign direct investments worth billions of dollars, paid the forex backlog and cleared the ways and means of the trillion Naira he inherited from the last administration,” he noted.

A Call for Unity and Support

The Deputy Senate President called on citizens to support the President’s vision and continue to contribute toward the country’s recovery and development.

“To this end, I urge all to give maximum support to the government to continue with these people-oriented and pro-masses initiatives conceived to take our country to the El Dorado,” he appealed.

He concluded with a strong expression of hope for the future under Tinubu’s leadership.

“The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s prosperity. Let’s support him. We have no other country than the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are by the grace of God on the path to prosperity,” Senator Barau added.