Amid prevailing security and economic challenges in Nigeria, citizens have been urged to remain patient and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at repositioning the country for sustainable growth and development.
Mohammed Ajia Ibrahim, chief executive officer of FUNAB Group of Companies and a politician, gave the admonition while fielding questions from journalists on the sidelines of discussions on current issues in the state and the country at large.
He emphasised that the reform initiatives introduced by the present administration were well-structured and strategically designed to provide practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges.
According to him, key reforms such as the Students’ Loan Scheme under NELFUND, agricultural interventions including food security initiatives, security restructuring, health insurance expansion, and social investment programmes are targeted at strengthening national systems and ensuring that governance works effectively for all citizens.
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Ibrahim noted that the introduction of the Students’ Loan Scheme, particularly caught his attention. He said findings from his independent inquiries showed that many students are already benefiting from the initiative, which has also eased the financial burden on parents.
“I have visited some universities and carried out investigations. I discovered that students who previously struggled or even resorted to begging to offset school fees are now benefitting from the loan scheme. They can remain in school and graduate. These are initiatives we should support and celebrate,” he said.
He added that the administration’s efforts in tackling insecurity, reforms in the oil and gas sector, and the floating of the naira are bold steps toward economic recovery.
“Reforms take time, but I can assure Nigerians that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to steering Nigeria in the right direction and delivering the dividends of democracy. Let us set aside partisan politics, remain patriotic, and support him in addressing insecurity and rebuilding the nation,” Ibrahim stated.
He further urged citizens to provide credible information that could assist government efforts in combating insecurity and navigating the country toward stability and progress.
“We must not play opposition when it comes to national issues. Nigeria is the only country we can call our own. Let us join hands, keep partisan politics aside, and see Nigeria as a collective project. We must believe in our country to achieve a better life for all,” he added.
Ibrahim, who is a security expert, identified community policing as one of the most efficient measure to tackle insecurity in Nigeria.
He said that doing so would enable security agencies to gather critical information from local communities who have become soft targets for violent non-state actors due to their vulnerability, adding that the current security challenge transcends a purely kinetic approach, requiring the collective involvement of all Nigerians.
While commending Tinubu for appointing the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, as Minister of Defence, he said: “The choice of the new minister indicated that the country cannot afford to politicise insecurity.”
