Tinubu Marks First Anniversary by Directing Ministers to Showcase Achievements

In observance of his first year in office, President Bola Tinubu has instructed his 47 ministers to present detailed performance reports to the Nigerian public. This directive aims to highlight the administration’s achievements and ongoing initiatives.

The anniversary celebration will be understated, focusing on sectoral media briefings by the federal ministers starting today. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this announcement during a press briefing in Abuja, accompanied by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu.

President Tinubu was declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election on March 1, 2023, by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Tinubu secured 8.7 million votes, surpassing Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who garnered 6.9 million and 6.1 million votes, respectively.

At a three-day cabinet retreat in November 2023, Tinubu emphasized that ministerial positions would be retained based on quarterly performance reviews. This performance-centric approach is monitored by the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU), which trained 140 officials to assess federal ministries’ performance.

Hadiza Bala-Usman, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, disclosed on Arise TV that the CDCU received performance reports from 20 ministries. These reports, reflecting the first quarter’s achievements, are evaluated by both government officials and the public through the Citizens Delivery Tracker app.

The Tinubu administration has undertaken significant economic reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy, reducing inflation, and attracting foreign investments. Key initiatives include ending the fuel subsidy regime, which, despite raising fuel and transportation costs, redirected funds to critical sectors such as agriculture and small and medium-sized enterprises. The administration has allocated N200 billion to boost agricultural productivity and N75 billion to support SMEs.

In infrastructure, the government has launched a 100,000 renewable housing program across seven states and provided N130 billion for the transition to compressed natural gas buses to mitigate transportation costs. The administration also initiated a student loan scheme to enhance access to tertiary education.

Significant portions of the budget have been allocated to national security and supporting state police initiatives. The administration aims to reduce the fiscal deficit from 6.11% in 2023 to below 4% in 2024, with an increase in capital expenditure to 39%, the highest in Nigeria’s history.

Minister Bagudu highlighted three major budgets under Tinubu’s tenure, focusing on national security, infrastructure, and social interventions. The 2024 budget prioritizes fiscal discipline and economic growth, emphasizing the need for tough decisions to ensure long-term stability.