President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday addressed the nation to commemorate Nigeria?s 64th Independence Anniversary celebration, stating his reforms were yielding results.

Tinubu also announced the intention of the Federal Government to include youths in administration, by introducing a 30-day national youth conference.

1. Acknowledgment of challenges: President Tinubu said he was aware of the struggles faced by Nigerians, especially concerning rising costs of living and employment challenges. He assured citizens that their concerns are being addressed.

2. National resilience: Tinubu reflected on Nigeria?s progress since it gained independence, emphasising the country?s survival through crises such as civil war, and its ongoing effort to embrace diversity while maintaining unity.

3. Commitment to security: He highlighted significant progress in combating terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent extremism, announcing the elimination of over 300 commanders of Boko Haram and other militant groups.

4. Economic reforms: Tinubu underscored the necessity of reforms in the economy to address fiscal misalignments, noting that these efforts have led to over $30 billion in foreign direct investment and improvements in fiscal stability.

5. Efforts to lower the living cost: Tinubu acknowledged the high living cost, especially with regards to food prices; he said ?The central concern of our people today is the high cost of living, especially food costs, be assured that we are implementing many measures to reduce the cost of living here at home.?

?We expect to see a leap in food production and a downward spiral in food costs,? he said.

6. Youth empowerment: The President announced a National Youth Conference and several youth-centred initiatives, including the 3 Million Technical Talents programme and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. ?This conference will empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building.?

7. Local Government Financial Autonomy: Tinubu reiterated his committed to implementing the Supreme Court ruling on the financial autonomy of local governments, he said, ?As part of our efforts to re-engineer our political economy, we are resolute in our determination to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the financial autonomy of local governments.?

8. Energy and transportation initiatives: He annoucned plans to expand CNG; saying ?our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.?

9. Disaster Relief and Prevention: The president talked about government efforts in responding to disasters, He said. ?Our government has been responding to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country. After Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Maiduguri, I also visited to assure our people that this federal government will always stand with our people in their times of trouble. At the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, we approved a Disaster Relief Fund to mobilise private and public sector funds to help us respond faster to emergencies.?

10. Optimism for the future: Concluding on an optimistic note, Tinubu encouraged citizens to stay resilient and work together toward a better future, while reinforcing his administration?s commitment to building a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria. (The Nation)

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