By Nkechi Eze
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that Nigeria’s ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy is within reach, citing growing international recognition of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Yilwatda stated this in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, while addressing supporters at a rally organised to welcome President Tinubu and his entourage at the Senator Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman said the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration were laying a solid foundation for a stronger, more productive and prosperous Nigeria.
He commended the President’s courage in confronting longstanding structural challenges in the economy, describing his bold policy decisions as necessary steps towards sustainable economic growth and national prosperity.
Yilwatda acknowledged that the reforms had imposed difficult adjustments on Nigerians but warned against abandoning the process, arguing that doing so would reverse the progress made and return the country to the economic difficulties that necessitated the reforms.
He described Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target as more than a political ambition, saying it was a strategic national development goal supported by deliberate policy decisions and ongoing economic restructuring.
The APC chairman identified investments in infrastructure, transportation, education, maritime development and financial inclusion as key pillars of the administration’s economic transformation agenda.
He specifically highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a major infrastructure project capable of improving connectivity, stimulating commercial activities and unlocking economic opportunities for Akwa Ibom and other coastal communities.
Yilwatda also said the administration’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s maritime economy would strengthen the competitiveness of coastal states and expand their contributions to national development.
On education and social investment, he commended the student loan initiative for widening access to higher education, while noting that targeted interventions for women and small businesses were creating opportunities for increased economic participation.
He further explained that the tax reforms were designed to reduce the burden on low-income earners and small businesses, allowing them to retain more of their earnings and operate in a more favourable business environment.
The APC national chairman also identified improved industrial harmony in educational institutions and efforts to settle outstanding obligations to workers, pensioners and retirees of formerly privatised public enterprises as significant achievements of the administration.
Urging Nigerians to remain committed to the reform process, Yilwatda declared, “Never again should Nigeria return to Egypt. We cannot afford to abandon the difficult but necessary work of rebuilding our economy and repositioning our country for sustainable growth.”
He maintained that the policies and investments of the Tinubu administration were positioning Nigeria for long-term prosperity, urging citizens to support the President’s vision of building a stronger and more economically competitive nation.
