President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday in
Lagos, emphasised the critical role of state governors in driving Nigeria’s
development and prosperity.
He said their leadership
at the subnational level was central to achieving food security, economic
prosperity and rapid national growth.
The President made the
remarks during a visit by Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the
Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).
“You are the most
important link to Nigeria’s prosperity and development.
The Federal Government
accounts for about 30 to 35 per cent of the allocated revenue; the rest comes
to you.
“The agricultural value
chain depends on you. You own the land, and the job is in your hands,” he said.
President Tinubu called
for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments to address
pressing challenges, including local government autonomy, agricultural
productivity, and currency stability.
Expressing his commitment
to local government development and autonomy, the President stressed its
importance for grassroots development and dispelled rumours of disagreement
with the governors.
“We will not fight within
us. I will drive the change. You control your local governments. You can
restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots
level.
“There were gossips that
we had disagreements on local government autonomy. No. Just drive development
at the local government.
“Nobody wants to take
them away from you, but we need collaboration. Let’s do it together and ensure
Nigeria is better off for it,” said Tinubu.
He urged governors to
prioritise agricultural growth as a pathway to economic stability.
“We have to work harder,
grow more, and ensure the situation of our currency improves. Nigeria will see
prosperity, but it requires consistent effort from all of us,” he said.
He also urged the
governors to take pride in their efforts and acknowledged their progress across
the states.
“There is no state we
cannot visit and be proud of its development. We have better allocations now.
Let me take the abuse; you take the privileges. Together, we will build a
nation we are all proud of,” he said.
Reflecting on his
leadership journey in the last 19 months, the President expressed confidence in
Nigeria’s capacity to thrive given the resilience and leadership demonstrated
by the administration.
“I am glad I asked for
this job, and Nigerians gave me the mandate. We’ll be on this voyage together.
I thank all of you for where we are today and where we are heading,” he said.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazak,
chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Kwara, acknowledged the
tangible progress made under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“The policies are
working. In agriculture, I was in Jigawa. The complaint in Jigawa was that
there was a bumper harvest, but because of the strength of our currency,
traders exported the harvest.
“So, most of us are
encouraging ourselves to buy bumper stocks into our silos, store them for the
rainy day. So, in terms of agriculture, the policy is working.
“We’ll continue to deepen
that and ensure we are 100% sustained in food security and feed the whole of
West Africa,” he said.
The governor urged the
President to visit various states to see the ongoing transformations and
progress firsthand.
He assured the President
of the support of the governors, particularly in contributing to local security
architecture to further enhance the nation’s security.
“I must confess that I
have not done two years in this administration, but I’ve done more projects in
two years than in the four years of my first term.
“We are getting more
funding due to the restructuring of the economy. Yes, there is inflation, but
we are overriding it,” the governor said. (NAN)
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