Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address, saying Nigerians saw a President who gave them “succour in the present and hope for the future.”

Omokri disclosed this in a post on X on Thursday, October 1, 2026, following Tinubu’s national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

According to Omokri, Nigerians saw a “healthy, youthful-looking, lucid, focused President Bola Tinubu” who articulated a clear message during his address.

ALSO SEE: Nigeria Must Cut Farm-to-Market Losses to Bring Down Food Prices – Tinubu

He said listening to the President gave Nigerians the impression that the country’s “ship of state is in sound hands.”

Omokri said Tinubu also reported on the achievements of his administration, particularly in the economy.

He listed infrastructure, the non-oil sector, Foreign Direct Investment, trade surpluses and higher foreign reserves among the areas he said Nigerians had seen gains under the administration.

He further highlighted Tinubu’s statement that his administration had ensured uninterrupted payment of salaries and pensions at the federal, state and local government levels.

However, Omokri said the President’s vision goes beyond managing poverty.

“His vision is, however, to defeat poverty, not manage it,” he wrote.

Omokri said he was particularly encouraged by the President’s broadcast, adding that it made him proud of Nigeria at 66.

“After watching this broadcast, I am proud of Nigeria at 66 years,” he stated.

He congratulated Nigerians on the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary and prayed for God’s blessings upon the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Happy 66th Independence Anniversary, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Omokri added.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has acknowledged that Nigeria’s poverty and economic difficulties cannot be eliminated within four years, saying the challenges accumulated over several generations.

Tinubu made the statement on Thursday in his Independence Day address to Nigerians as the country marked its 66th anniversary.

The President said millions of Nigerians still struggle with basic needs, including food, school fees, medical bills and transportation.

SEE MORE: ‘I Want More Nigerians Making Things, Selling Nigerian Goods Globally’ – Tinubu

According to him, their difficulties did not begin with the economic reforms introduced by his administration but were the result of decades of low productivity, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient opportunities and institutions that had failed many citizens.

“We cannot erase in four years what accumulated over generations. But we can change its course,” Tinubu said.

He said his administration would focus on building an economy capable of steadily lifting people out of poverty while ensuring vulnerable Nigerians receive support.

Tinubu highlighted measures including stronger direct support for poor households, improvements to the National Social Register and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.

He also pointed to consumer credit through CREDICORP and continued investment in primary healthcare, basic education and other essential public services.

The President said defeating poverty would require time, discipline, sustained economic growth and the creation of millions of productive opportunities across the country.

“We will defeat it,” he said, while urging Nigerians to look ahead as his administration moves from what he described as the “age of reform” into an “age of prosperity.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for a stronger production-driven Nigerian economy, saying he wants more Nigerians making goods locally and Nigerian businesses selling their products to markets around the world.

Tinubu stated this in his Independence Day address to Nigerians on Thursday, as the country marked its 66th anniversary.

According to the President, Nigeria’s young population must become an engine of production rather than a source of despair, with jobs, enterprise and industrial growth placed at the centre of government policies.

SEE MORE: Tinubu Departs Paris for Lagos, Set for Abiola Tribute

“I want to see more Nigerians making things. I want to see more Nigerian farms feeding our cities and supplying our factories. I want to see Nigerian businesses selling Nigerian goods to the whole world,” Tinubu said.

He also expressed his desire to see young Nigerians building technology companies capable of becoming global “unicorns” while creating opportunities for others within the country.

Tinubu said his administration would use Nigeria’s gas resources to power new industries, support businesses working to revive factories and expand digital connectivity to communities that have been left behind.

He added that government would invest in skills demanded by employers while providing Nigerian businesses with infrastructure and financing needed to expand.

The President said the focus of the next phase of his administration would be on creating widespread prosperity, lowering production and transportation costs and expanding productive opportunities for Nigerians.

He said increased local production, improved infrastructure and a stronger business environment would help reduce the cost of goods and create a more productive economy.

Tinubu urged Nigerians to look beyond the country’s economic difficulties and work towards building an economy capable of producing for both domestic and international markets.