By Gidado Siddiki
As Nigeria moves gradually towards the 2027 general elections, it is important for us as citizens, thought leaders, and stakeholders in the Nigerian project to pause and objectively reconsider the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
When the president took over on May 29, 2023, he met a nation in dire economic straits. Fuel subsidy had become a black hole consuming over N10 trillion annually. The multiple foreign exchange windows had made corruption official, scaring away investors. Debt servicing had overtaken revenue. The easy option would have been to continue with cosmetic measures and postpone the evil day. President Tinubu chose the hard, patriotic option of reform.
Today, in reconsidering that agenda, the facts speak for themselves.
The removal of fuel subsidy, though initially painful, was the most equitable decision for Nigeria’s future. That money that was enriching a few is now going to the Federation Account, where all the 36 states and 774 local government areas share it. States that could not pay salaries before can now pay and still have billions left for projects. That is what Renewed Hope means in real terms.
The unification of the exchange rate has restored discipline and transparency. Foreign investors who left Nigeria are returning. Our foreign reserves have improved, and international rating agencies have upgraded Nigeria. The foundation for industrialization has been laid.
In reconsidering the Renewed Hope Agenda, one cannot miss the audacity of President Tinubu’s infrastructure vision. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway are not just roads; they are economic corridors that will create jobs, open up the South East, South South, North West, and South West, connecting Nigeria to its future.
This is a President thinking beyond 2027, thinking of Nigeria in the next 50 years.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has restored hope to over 500,000 poor students. The new N70,000 minimum wage, the CNG initiative to reduce transport fares, and the support for market women and youths show a compassionate leader.
For us, what is commendable is the President’s commitment to equity and inclusion. All zones are represented, speaking out their plights.
In reconsidering the Renewed Hope Agenda for another term, the logic is clear: reforms need time to mature.
The first term is always for planting, clearing, and taking hard decisions. The second term is for harvesting, consolidating, and prosperity. President Tinubu has taken the bullets that others avoided. He has planted.
It will be a national disservice to change course now and return to the old order of subsidy waste and forex bazaar. 2027 must be about continuity, consolidation, and completion.
As a well-meaning Nigerian, I declare my desire and readiness to be actively engages in the campaign for a truly renewed Nigeria.
I want to be part of telling the story that Renewed Hope is not just a slogan. Renewed Hope is working, and it deserves another term to fully work for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Gidado Siddiki is Coordinator of Movement for Equity in Nigeria (MEN)
