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 efforts to promote inclusive growth and improve living standards across the country.
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 expansion.
According to him, the empowerment drive will be executed through the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, which targets the engagement of at least 10 million Nigerians in productive economic activities nationwide.
Tinubu said the programme is designed to stimulate local economies by supporting agriculture, trade, food processing and mining, while expanding economic opportunities at the grassroots level.
He noted that the initiative builds on economic reforms implemented throughout 2025, which he said amounted to a fiscal reset and delivered steady progress despite global economic challenges. The President said the outcomes of the reforms showed that the government’s policies were beginning to yield results for ordinary Nigerians.
On economic performance, Tinubu said Nigeria recorded growth in gross domestic product in all quarters of 2025, with annual growth projected to exceed four per cent. He added that the country maintained trade surpluses, achieved greater exchange rate stability and saw inflation fall steadily to below 15 per cent.
The President said the Nigerian Stock Exchange recorded a 48.12 per cent gain in 2025, outperforming comparable markets, while foreign reserves stood at $45.4 billion as of December 29, 2025, providing a buffer against external shocks to the naira.
He also said 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 improved investor confidence and positive assessments from international credit rating agencies such as Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.
On fiscal policy, Tinubu said he had presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly and stressed the importance of fiscal discipline and tax reforms. He said harmonising the tax system would improve revenue generation, reduce distortions and strengthen funding for infrastructure and social services, while commending states that had adopted harmonised tax laws.
The President said the government would continue investing in key infrastructure sectors, including roads, power, ports, railways, airports, pipelines, healthcare, education and agriculture, adding that all ongoing projects would proceed without disruption.
On security, Tinubu said recent operations against terrorist targets in parts of the North-West, carried out on December 24 with support from international partners, including the United States, had been sustained. He said similar actions were ongoing against criminal networks in the North-West and North-East.
He reiterated his support for a decentralised policing system, complemented by regulated forest guards and anchored on accountability, as a key strategy to address insecurity.
The President concluded by calling on Nigerians to work together in building the nation, urging citizens to embrace unity and shared responsibility.
