President Bola Tinubu’s purposeful and servant-oriented leadership is setting Nigeria on the path for sustainable growth and inclusive development.
Wike stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, at the 2026 Annual Distinguished Personality Lecture Series, organised by the Facility of Social Science, Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja.
Wike said that Tinubu’s long-standing commitment to the democratic struggle, at great personal risk, established his credentials well before he assumed the presidency.
He added that the president’s record in Lagos State demonstrated a capacity for translating vision into sustained development, particularly in the areas of internally generated revenue, infrastructure, and institutional reform.
He pointed out that as President, Tinubu signaled uncommon resolve from his first day in office by removing the fuel subsidy, a policy long acknowledged as economically destructive but avoided by successive administrations for lack of political courage.
According to him, while the reform has generated short term pains and resistance, it has also freed resources for subnational development, halted the spiral of unsustainable debt, and initiated the difficult process of restoring market discipline to the energy sector.
“This decision exemplifies leadership willing to endure temporary unpopularity in pursuit of long term national interest.
“Beyond this, the administration has begun confronting Nigeria’s structural imbalances through the devolution of development initiatives via zonal and regional commissions.
The Minister, however, noted that no leader – visionary or courageous, could succeed in isolation, adding that the national transformation ultimately depends on the active cooperation of citizens.
He called on Nigerians to rise above years of cynicism and disengagement to embrace a renewed sense of collective responsibility, stressing that “progress is forged where leadership and followership work in synergy.”
“The current situation, therefore, demands more than criticism but commitments. The time for belief is now, and the time for action is now.