•Says economy on path of resurgence

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has declared that reforms of the President Bola Tinubu administration have started manifesting in the resurgence of the nation's economy.

Speaking while playing host to a delegation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Forum led by former Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, Alake asserted that Tinubu's progressive leadership and courage in taking difficult decisions is turning the tide, putting the economy on a strong footing.

"The President has chosen to leave a legacy of taking difficult decisions that will herald enduring structures that will not only outlast the administration, but also make it impossible for successive administrations to deviate from. The society would have become used to a certain standard of service delivery at the end of the Tinubu administration that Nigerians will no more settle for anything less, "Alake affirmed.

According to the Minister, it has become evident that the temporary pains of reforms are beginning to ease, citing the resurgence of the naira and emerging stability in the forex market.

Speaking further, the Minister highlighted the administration's efforts towards infrastructural renewal, citing the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, which he stated on completion will shorten travel time to the Cross-River state capital to two and half hours.

"On completion of that coastal road, the amount of tourism that will be generated along that axis is unimaginable. It will be one of the longest tourism coast town drive in Africa, not to talk of the ease of movement of goods and services; the economic impact of ports along the route, and it will finally link up to Sokoto - a project which has been in the pipeline for more than 30 years", Alake asserted.

The Minister charged the forum as a repository of knowledge and diverse professionals within the APC to contribute their quota to the success of the administration, reiterating that the APC-led Federal Government is open to innovative ideas in its quest to deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In his remarks, HE Yuguda congratulated the Minister on his appointment, commending his efforts to sanitise and attract global attention to the mining sector, emphasising that solid minerals remain the key to Nigeria's economic prosperity.

The former governor urged Nigerians and the federal government to support Dr. Alake with all that is required to transform the mining sector, stressing that solid minerals have all it takes to overtake oil as the mainstay of the nation's economy.

Throwing light on the mission of the APC professionals forum, Yuguda stated that the group is a foremost group of patriotic professionals in diverse fields committed to nation building. He assured the forum will lead enlightenment of the populace on government programmes and also advance suggestions, where necessary.

On the entourage of HE, Isa Yuguda were the former governor of Adamawa State and member of the Forum's Board of Trustees (BOT), Barr. James Ngilare; former Deputy Governor of Anambra state and Vice-Chairman BOT, Dr. Nkem Okeke; Secretary, Akeem Akintayo amongst others.

•PHOTO: L-R; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, former Governor of Bauchi State, and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Forum, Dr. Isa Yuguda and former Governor of Adamawa State and member Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals Forum, Bala Ngilari during a visit to the Hon. Minister in his office in Abuja, April 18, 2024.

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