Tinubu: With Major Fiscal Reset in 2025, 2026 Will Bring More Robust Economic Growth

• Insists Nigeria closed 2025 on strong note, recommits to reducing inflation, exceeding 4% GDP

•Lauds states for aligning with national tax harmonisation agenda

•Aims to bring 10m Nigerians into productive economic activity

•Insists on state policing, decentralised security system

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu, this morning, said with a major fiscal reset achieved in 2025, the new year would mark the beginning of a more robust phase of economic growth for Nigeria.

H also pledged to consolidate the gains of the recent reforms, deepen fiscal discipline and expand inclusive growth aimed at lifting millions of Nigerians into productive economic activity.

In his New Year goodwill message to the nation, the president said Nigeria achieved a major fiscal reset in 2025, recording steady macroeconomic improvements despite global headwinds, and expressed confidence that the reforms undertaken by his administration were beginning to yield measurable results for the economy and citizens.

Tinubu restated his administration’s commitment to reducing inflation further in 2026, sustaining economic growth above 4 per cent and strengthening investor confidence.

Besides, the president commended sub-national governments that have aligned with the federal government’s tax harmonisation agenda, assuring that this would ease the burden of multiple taxation on businesses and households.

In the same vein, he outlined plans to bring at least 10 million Nigerians into productive economic activity through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, as part of  efforts to stimulate grassroots economies, modernise infrastructure and ensure that the benefits of growth were more widely shared across the country.

Tinubu, in a rather optimistic tone, welcomed Nigerians to 2026, expressing the hope that the new year would be a more prosperous one for the nation, citizens, and all who calledNigeria their home.

Nigeria’s economic reform agenda under the current administration has been anchored on a fundamental reworking of fiscal, monetary and structural policies aimed at stabilising the economy and restoring growth after years of deep distortions.

Central to this effort has been the removal of costly subsidies, exchange rate reforms to improve transparency and investor confidence, tighter fiscal discipline, and a renewed focus on revenue mobilisation through tax harmonisation.

But the impact has been mixed. While the reforms have triggered inflationary pressures and higher living costs, they have also improved government finances, reduced arbitrage in the foreign exchange market, strengthened external reserves, and attracted renewed foreign investor interest.

During 2025, Tinubu said his government sustained the momentum of the major reforms, describing it as a fiscal reset and alluding go the fact that the country also recorded steady economic progress.

“Despite persistent global economic headwinds, we recorded tangible and measurable gains, particularly in the economy. These achievements reaffirm our belief that the difficult but necessary reforms we embarked upon are moving us in the right direction with more concrete results on the horizon for the ordinary Nigerian,” the president said.

With the dawn of 2026, the Nigerian leader explained that the focus would be on consolidating these gains and continuing to build a resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and growth-oriented economy.

“We closed 2025 on a strong note. Despite the policies to fight inflation, Nigeria recorded a robust GDP growth each quarter, with annualised growth expected to exceed 4 per cent for the year. We maintained trade surpluses and achieved greater exchange rate stability. Inflation declined steadily and reached below 15 per cent, in line with our target.

“In 2026, we are determined to reduce inflation further and ensure that the benefits of reform reach every Nigerian household. In 2025, the Nigerian Stock Exchange outperformed its peers, posting a robust 48.12 per cent gain and consolidating its bullish run that began in the second half of 2023.

“Supported by sound monetary policy management, our foreign reserves stood at $45.4 billion as of December 29, 2025, providing a substantial buffer against external shocks for the Naira. We expect this position to strengthen further in the new year.

“Foreign direct investment is also responding positively. In the third quarter of 2025, FDI rose to $720 million, up from $90 million in the preceding quarter, reflecting renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s economic direction, which global credit rating agencies, including Moody’s, Fitch, and Standard & Poor’s, have consistently affirmed and applauded,” he stated.

A few days ago, Tinubu recalled that he presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, where he emphasised that his administration had implemented critical reforms that are laying a solid foundation for long-term stability and prosperity.

With patience, fiscal discipline, and unity of purpose, he explained that Nigeria would emerge in 2026 stronger and better positioned for sustained growth.

“As inflation and interest rates moderate, we expect increased fiscal space for productive investment in infrastructure and human capital development. We are also confronting the challenge of multiple taxation across all tiers of government.

“I commend states that have aligned with the national tax harmonisation agenda by adopting harmonised tax laws to reduce the excessive burden of taxes, levies, and fees on our people and on basic consumption.

“The new year marks a critical phase in implementing our tax reforms, designed to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation for Nigeria.

“By harmonising our tax system, we aim to raise revenue sustainably, address fiscal distortions and strengthen our capacity to finance infrastructure and social investments that will deliver shared prosperity,” he added.

On security and national stability, Tinubu admitted that the nation continues to confront security threats from criminal and terrorist elements determined to disrupt our way of life.

In collaboration with international partners, including the United States, he stated that decisive actions were taken against terrorist targets in parts of the North-west on December 24, with the Armed Forces sustaining operations against terror networks and criminal strongholds across the North-west and North-east since then.

In 2026, the president said that Nigeria’s security and intelligence agencies will deepen cooperation with regional and global partners to eliminate all threats to national security, stressing that he remains committed to protecting lives, property, and the territorial integrity of the country.

“I continue to believe that a decentralised policing system with appropriate safeguards, complemented by properly regulated forest guards, all anchored on accountability, is critical to effectively addressing terrorism, banditry, and related security challenges,” he added.

According to Tinubu, the new year marks the beginning of a more robust phase of economic growth, with tangible improvements in the lives of the people.

“We will accelerate the implementation of the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, aiming to bring at least 10 million Nigerians into productive economic activity by empowering at least 1,000 people in each of the 8,809 wards across the country,” he reiterated.

Through agriculture, trade, food processing, and mining, he noted that Nigeria  would stimulate local economies and expand grassroots opportunities, and would also continue to invest in modernising Nigeria’s infrastructure, including roads, power, ports, railways, airports, pipelines, healthcare, education, and agriculture to strengthen food security and improve quality of life.

“All ongoing projects will continue without interruption,” he stated.

While calling for unity, he pointed out that to achieve these objectives in 2026, Nigerians must all play their part, describing nation-building as a shared responsibility.

“We must stand together in unity and purpose, uphold patriotism, and serve our country with honour and integrity in our respective roles. Let us resolve to be better citizens, better neighbours, and better stewards of our nation.

“Fellow Nigerians, I wish you all a peaceful, productive, and prosperous New Year. May God continue to bless and protect our beloved country,  keep our troops safe and destroy the enemies bent on disrupting our national peace, security and stability,” he stated.