Nigeria Has Passed Through its Red Sea, Now on Path to Prosperity—Tinubu

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Nigerians may begin to see their lives getting better going by the assurances given by President Bola Tinubu.

In his nationwide address to commemorate the country’s 66th Independence Day celebration on Thursday, October 1, 2026, Mr Tinubu declared that the worst was over and prosperity was in sight.

“Nigeria has corrected its course. We have passed through our own Red Sea. This is not the time to look back. Let us go forward together, with faith in ourselves, faith in our country, and faith that the sacrifices we have made will yield their reward.

“The Promised Land before us is a Nigeria of abundance and opportunity; a nation where prosperity is broadly shared, where every child can dream beyond the circumstances of his birth, and where our country’s immense promise is finally reflected in the lives of our people.

“Our destination is in sight. Our foundations are strong. Our direction is clear. So let us go forward.  No looking back,” he declared.

The President noted that when he assumed office over three years ago, Nigeria was almost at its lowest, caused by “choices that postponed difficult decisions and allowed deep economic distortions to grow.”

“By 2023, poverty was rising, and hope was nearly gone. The country’s situation was darker than ever. We had no choice but to act.

“Nigeria was like a sick patient who receives the terrible news that he has cancer. His doctor explains that the treatment will be difficult and painful, but that it offers a strong prospect of recovery. The patient has a choice. He can begin treatment, endure its discomfort and fight the disease. Or he can ask only for morphine, dull the pain and leave the cancer to spread,” he stated.

He further said, “For too long, Nigeria’s leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came.

They focused on symptoms while allowing the disease to take hold deep within the fabric of our society. We spent enormous sums sustaining inefficient arrangements that were never intended to last. We hid from difficult truths and passed the consequences from one generation to the next.”

“When this Administration assumed office, we resolved to do things differently. We chose to excise the cancer. The reforms that followed were difficult. The side effects were real. Yet, we must never confuse the medicine with the disease.

Our reforms did not create the weaknesses in our economy. They confronted them. Now, as certain influential but regressive voices would have us abandon the treatment and return ourselves to the abuse of addictive subsidies, we must resist their siren song. We must remember why we began this journey and how far we have already come.

“Three and a half years later, the evidence that Nigeria’s economic outlook has improved is undeniable. Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year. Both oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to the renewed period of stable growth,” he added.

But he stated that the country has reached a turning point, as the emergency treatment was over.

“The foundation has been repaired. The central economic task before us has changed. For three years, our overriding purpose was to correct our nation’s course,” he disclosed.