Mohammed Idris: Tinubu’s reforms creating real opportunities across Nigeria

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, says the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu is not just a policy framework but a vehicle delivering real and measurable opportunities across the country.

Speaking on Thursday in Minna, Niger state, at the Conference of Commissioners for Information in APC-controlled states, organised by the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Idris said the administration is driving a comprehensive transformation agenda.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda goes beyond macroeconomic reforms. It is about creating concrete opportunities for prosperity across sectors — for individuals, for families, and for communities,” he said.

He said the Tinubu administration is focused on inclusive growth, citing strategic investments in infrastructure, youth empowerment, agriculture, energy, education, and innovation.

Idris highlighted the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the most far-reaching decisions of the administration.

“One of the boldest and most consequential decisions of this administration, which is the removal of the fuel subsidy, was a painful but necessary reform,” he said.

“Beyond saving the economy from fiscal collapse, this decision has significantly blocked areas of leakage and waste in our economy.”

According to him, the savings from subsidy removal are now being used to fund critical infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway.

Idris said the increase in monthly federal allocations is enabling state governments to execute impactful projects across sectors.

The minister also pointed to social investment initiatives such as the presidential conditional grant and loan scheme, under which over 900,000 small businesses have so far benefitted.

He said more than 350,000 students are currently benefitting from the Students’ Loan Scheme, with N70 billion already committed and over 600,000 applications submitted.

On regional development, Idris said Tinubu has established regional development commissions to drive area-specific progress in the six geopolitical zones.

He added that the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project is progressing steadily and will help power industries along its corridor.

“Once that is done, it will deliver power from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and Kano. It means that all the industries along that corridor will now be revamped,” he said.