By Jane Okafor, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday vowed to defeat terrorism and overcome the ‘Country of Particular Concern’ tag placed on Nigeria by the United States of America.
Tinubu, however, urged Nigeria’s international friends to lend helping hands as the country intensify onslaughts against terrorism and other forms of criminality.
The President also said that despite her challenges, Nigeria remains on a steady growth trajectory, with more promise of stability and prosperity as economic reforms continue to yield results and gain national and international acceptance.
He spoke at the Federal Executive Council after the swearing-in of two ministers, Dr Bernard Mohammed Doro, and Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh (SAN). Doro will manage the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, while Udeh will oversee the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
On the current state of the economy and the relationship between Nigeria and the United States, President Tinubu assured that the Federal Government was engaging with the world diplomatically.
“The most important thing is the fact that despite the political headwinds and the fear of our people, we will continue to engage with partners.
“The success of the $2.3 billion eurobond that was oversubscribed by 400% is the most assuring. So, the task ahead is immense; we are engaging the world diplomatically, and we assure all of you that we will defeat terrorism in this country.
“The task ahead is immense, but it is our resolve to move forward with unity and purpose, guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda to build a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Nigeria.”
On the security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, charged Nigerians not to succumb to despair, assuring that the government will defeat every form of terrorism and secure every part of the country.
He called Ministers and other officials to ensure consistency in communication and avoid discordant messaging.
“Do we have problems? Yes. Are we challenged by terrorism? Yes. But we will defeat terrorism. We will overcome the CPC designation. Nigeria is one happy family, and we shall spare no effort until we eliminate all criminals from our society. We want our friends to help us as we step up our fight against terrorism, and we will eliminate it,” President Tinubu assured.
During the cabinet meeting, President Tinubu, who directed Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to brief the Council on the nation’s economic performance, stated that the government will continue to sustain and consolidate the gains.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy noted that the macroeconomic indicators showed the economy had picked up, with one of the best results in the last decade.
Edun said: “The reforms that have been taken under your Renewed Hope Agenda, so bold and sometimes unpopular, are rooted in a clear objective to build a competitive economy that attracts, creates jobs and lifts millions out of poverty.
“In Q2 2025, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23%, the highest in a decade, outside the COVID rebound. Thirteen sectors recorded growth above 7% up from nine sectors in the previous quarter.
“The industrial sector nearly doubled its growth from 3.72% to 7.45%, reflecting rising productivity and investor confidence. Inflation eased to 18.02% in September 2025. As we know, foreign exchange reserves topped $43 billion, and our trade surplus reached N7.4 trillion.
“Clear examples of macroeconomic stability, as the consumer spending basket published earlier this year shows, our citizens now spend maybe about half of the income on basic needs, food, shelter and clothing, as compared with almost 90% previously.
“This signals a country moving from subsistence towards productivity and indeed affluence.’’
The minister said the vision of reaching a one trillion dollar economy by 2030 was achievable by pursuing a 7% annual growth and a commitment to ending poverty as a moral imperative.
“Nigeria’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force Grey List marks a major milestone in strengthening our financial integrity and confidence.
“At the recent World Bank/IMF annual meetings, global leaders commended our reforms, our progress and the revised IMF growth forecast of up to nearly 4% and improved credit ratings,’’ the minister added.
He said there was an urgency to mobilise domestic resources and provide investment to finance infrastructure, as well as drive sustainability and job-rich growth.
Yesterday’s hugely successful $2.35 billion Eurobond issuance, in which the order book peaked at over $13 billion, is a testament to continued investor confidence in our country, our reform agenda and Mr President’s leadership.
“Despite the political headwinds which we are all aware of, the market shrugged off those political considerations and focused on the economic fundamentals of Nigeria’’ he stated.
For greater inclusivity, Edun urged ministers overseeing sectors such as infrastructure, mining, education, health, agriculture, the blue economy, digital innovation, arts, and culture to collaborate with sub-national governments to identify and package projects that meet investor expectations.
“Every Naira must be optimised to sustain momentum amid global liquidity constraints. Where there is less funding from multilateral institutions, we must rely on our own resources. The next phase of reforms will remove barriers holding back investors. We will review tariffs and import restrictions to stimulate productivity and investment,’’ he said.
