New Year Message: “We Will Empower 1,000 Citizens in Every Ward in 2026” — Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has announced plans to empower at least 1,000 citizens in each of Nigeria’s 8,809 wards in 2026, as part of a nationwide strategy to expand economic participation and improve livelihoods.

The President made this known in his New Year message to Nigerians on January 1, 2026, describing the year as the start of a stronger phase of economic growth.

According to Tinubu, the initiative will be implemented through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which is designed to engage at least 10 million Nigerians in productive economic activities across the country.

He said the programme will focus on stimulating local economies through agriculture, trade, food processing and mining, with the aim of expanding economic opportunities at the grassroots.

The President noted that the initiative builds on economic reforms carried out in 2025, during which the government undertook what he described as a fiscal reset while sustaining economic progress despite global challenges.

On economic performance, Tinubu said Nigeria recorded growth in gross domestic product in every quarter of 2025, with annual growth projected to exceed four per cent. He added that the country maintained trade surpluses, achieved improved exchange rate stability and recorded a steady decline in inflation, which he said fell below 15 per cent.

He also said the Nigerian Stock Exchange recorded a 48.12 per cent gain in 2025, outperforming its peers, while foreign reserves stood at $45.4 billion as of December 29, 2025. According to him, this provided a buffer against external shocks to the naira.

Tinubu further disclosed that foreign direct investment rose to $720 million in the third quarter of 2025, up from $90 million in the previous quarter, attributing the increase to growing investor confidence. He said Nigeria’s economic direction had received positive assessments from international credit rating agencies, including Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.

On fiscal policy, the President said he had presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly, stressing that fiscal discipline and tax reforms would be central to sustaining growth. He said efforts to harmonise the tax system would help raise revenue, reduce distortions and improve funding for infrastructure and social investments, while commending states that have adopted harmonised tax laws.

Tinubu said the government would continue investing in key infrastructure, including roads, power, ports, railways, airports, pipelines, healthcare, education and agriculture, adding that ongoing projects would proceed without disruption.

On security, he said economic progress must be supported by peace and stability, noting that security forces carried out operations against terrorist targets in parts of the North-West on December 24, in collaboration with international partners, including the United States. He added that operations against terrorist and criminal networks were ongoing in the North-West and North-East.

The President reiterated his support for decentralised policing, alongside regulated forest guards and accountability measures, as part of efforts to address terrorism and banditry.

He concluded by urging Nigerians to work together in building the country, calling for shared responsibility in national development.