NEWS
Bola Tinubu’s 63rd Independence Day Anniversary Address [Full Speech]
Dear Compatriots,
1.It is my unique honour to address you on this day, the 63rd anniversary of our nation’s independence, both as the President of our dear country and, simply, as a fellow Nigerian.
2. On this solemn yet hopeful day, let us commend our founding fathers and mothers. Without them, there would be no modern Nigeria. From the fading embers of colonialism, their activism, dedication and leadership gave life to the belief in Nigeria as a sovereign and independent nation.
3. Let us, at this very moment, affirm that as Nigerians, we are all endowed with the sacred rights and individual gifts that God has bestowed on us as a nation and as human beings. No one is greater or lesser than the other.
The triumphs that Nigeria has achieved shall define us. The travails we have endured shall strengthen us. And no other nation or power on this earth shall keep us from our rightful place and destiny. This nation belongs to you, dear people. Love and cherish it as your very own.
4. Nigeria is remarkable in its formation and essential character. We are a broad and dynamic blend of ethnic groups, religions, traditions and cultures. Yet, our bonds are intangible yet strong, invisible yet universal. We are joined by a common thirst for peace and progress, by the common dream of prosperity and harmony and by the unifying ideals of tolerance and justice.
5. Forging a nation based on the fair application of these noble principles to a diverse population has been a task of significant blessing but also a serial challenge. Some people have said an independent Nigeria should never have come into existence. Some have said that our country would be torn apart. They are forever mistaken. Here, our nation stands and here we shall remain.
6. This year, we passed a significant milestone in our journey to a better Nigeria. By democratically electing a 7th consecutive civilian government, Nigeria has proven that commitment to democracy and the rule of law remains our guiding light.
7. At my inauguration, I made important promises about how I would govern this great nation. Among those promises, were pledges to reshape and modernize our economy and to secure the lives, liberty and property of the people.
8. I said that bold reforms were necessary to place our nation on the path of prosperity and growth. On that occasion, I announced the end of the fuel subsidy.
9. I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.
10. Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few. A Nigeria where hunger, poverty and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever fading past.
11. There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.
12. My government is doing all that it can to ease the load. I will now outline the path we are taking to relieve the stress on our families and households.
13. We have embarked on several public sector reforms to stabilize the economy, direct fiscal and monetary policy to fight inflation, encourage production, ensure the security of lives and property and lend more support to the poor and the vulnerable.
14. Based on our talks with labour, business and other stakeholders, we are introducing a provisional wage increment to enhance the federal minimum wage without causing undue inflation. For the next six months, the average low-grade worker shall receive an additional Twenty-Five Thousand naira per month.
15. To ensure better grassroots development, we set up an Infrastructure Support Fund for states to invest in critical areas. States have already received funds to provide relief packages against the impact of rising food and other prices.
16. Making the economy more robust by lowering transport costs will be key. In this regard, we have opened a new chapter in public transportation through the deployment of cheaper, safer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses across the nation. These buses will operate at a fraction of current fuel prices, positively affecting transport fares.
17. New CNG conversions kits will start coming in very soon as all hands are on deck to fast track the usually lengthy procurement process. We are also setting up training facilities and workshops across the nation to train and provide new opportunities for transport operators and entrepreneurs.
This is a groundbreaking moment where, as a nation, we embrace more efficient means to power our economy. In making this change, we also make history.
18. I pledged a thorough housecleaning of the den of malfeasance the CBN had become. That housecleaning is well underway. A new leadership for the Central Bank has been constituted. Also, my special investigator will soon present his findings on past lapses and how to prevent similar reoccurrences. Henceforth, monetary policy shall be for the benefit of all and not the exclusive province of the powerful and wealthy.
19. Wise tax policy is essential to economic fairness and development. I have inaugurated a Committee on Tax Reforms to improve the efficiency of tax administration in the country and address fiscal policies that are unfair or hinder the business environment and slow our growth.
20. To boost employment and urban incomes, we are providing investment funding for enterprises with great potential. Similarly, we are increasing investment in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
21. Commencing this month, the social safety net is being extended through the expansion of cash transfer programs to an additional 15 million vulnerable households.
22. My administration shall always accord the highest priority to the safety of the people. Inter-Service collaboration and intelligence sharing have been enhanced. Our Service Chiefs have been tasked with the vital responsibility of rebuilding the capacities of our security services.
23. Here, I salute and commend our gallant security forces for keeping us safe and securing our territorial integrity. Many have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We remember them today and their families. We shall equip our forces with the ways and means needed to perform their urgent task on behalf of the people,
24. We shall continue to make key appointments in line with the provisions of the Constitution and with fairness toward all. Women, Youth and the physically challenged shall continue to be given due regard in these appointments.
25. May I take this opportunity to congratulate the National Assembly for its role in the quick take-off of this administration through the performance of its constitutional duties of confirmation and oversight.
26. I similarly congratulate the judiciary as a pillar of democracy and fairness.
27. I also thank members of our dynamic civil society organizations and labour unions for their dedication to Nigerian democracy. We may not always agree but I value your advice and recommendations. You are my brothers and sisters and you have my due respect.
28. Fellow compatriots, the journey ahead will not be navigated by fear or hatred. We can only achieve our better Nigeria through courage, compassion and commitment as one indivisible unit.
29. I promise that I shall remain committed and serve faithfully. I also invite all to join this enterprise to remake our beloved nation into its better self. We can do it. We must do it. We shall do it.!!!
30. I wish you all a happy 63rd Independence Anniversary.
31. Thank you for listening.
32. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned that indiscriminate alcohol consumption poses a serious threat to Nigerians, linking alcohol use to banditry and warning of its damaging effects on the body.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, raised the alarm during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
According to Adeyeye, alcohol can damage vital organs, including the brain, lungs, kidneys and liver, while also posing a threat to the future of Nigerian children and the country’s workforce.
SEE MORE: Yam, Fresh Fruits Not Under NAFDAC’s Control — DG Clarifies
The NAFDAC boss was speaking in defence of the agency’s enforcement of the ban on alcoholic drinks sold in sachets and PET bottles of less than 200 millilitres.
She explained that sachet alcohol was approved about three decades ago but eventually became difficult to control.
“But this monster became uncontrollable. This monster stood out to destroy the future of our workforce, of our children.”
Adeyeye said NAFDAC had taken decisive action to curb the production and distribution of such products, including shutting down three major companies for three weeks and taking enforcement action against individuals involved.
She acknowledged that the ban had faced resistance from some stakeholders, noting that some people demonstrated against the policy in Ibadan.
However, she maintained that the agency’s priority was to protect public health and prevent the long-term consequences of alcohol abuse.
The NAFDAC DG said the National Alcohol Policy launched by the Ministry of Health also includes a ban on sachet alcohol and alcohol sold in PET bottles below 200ml.
She said some Nigerians were focused on the immediate economic impact of the restrictions without considering the long-term consequences.
“They were demonstrating because they are seeing the situation now; they are not seeing into the future that alcohol destroys the brain, it destroys the lungs, it destroys the kidneys, the liver; it encourages banditry,” Adeyeye said.
She added that manufacturers had been required to sign undertakings not to produce alcoholic drinks in sachets or small bottles below the approved threshold.
Adeyeye maintained that although the measures had generated pushback, the agency would continue enforcing the restrictions in what she described as an effort to safeguard the health and future of Nigerians.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified that fresh farm produce such as yam, oranges and apples are not under the agency’s direct regulatory control.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, explained that the agency regulates processed and semi-processed products, while naturally grown agricultural produce falls under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Adeyeye made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.
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“In terms of sister agencies, the civil service is amazing; people like to work in silos. ‘This is my turf, don’t go there.’ No, we are supposed to work corporately.
“For example, the National Food and Safety Policy said that produce from the farm is not under the control of NAFDAC. NAFDAC is in control of semi-processed products,” the NAFDAC DG stated.
She further explained that fresh agricultural products such as apples and oranges are not within NAFDAC’s direct mandate at the farm-produce stage.
“So, in the social media thing that we responded to, they said apples, NAFDAC; oranges, NAFDAC. No, that is under the Ministry of Agriculture, but we are supposed to work together because it is that produce that can be processed, which is under our control.”
Adeyeye, a professor, added: “So, when you take your oranges in the morning, you take your apple, that is not NAFDAC, but everything is about NAFDAC — yam is NAFDAC; fufu is NAFDAC. No.”
The clarification comes amid growing concerns over food safety in Nigeria, particularly allegations surrounding the use of potentially harmful chemicals in the production, preservation and processing of food items.
The NAFDAC DG’s comments also came days after former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recalled in a viral video how laboratory testing reportedly showed that fresh juice squeezed from oranges by his wife was unsafe for consumption.
While speaking at an Open Day for Gardeners’ seminar themed “Leaving The Earth Better Than We Found It,” Osinbajo reportedly recounted that his wife began experiencing strange headaches after drinking her fresh orange juice every day.
The Benue State Government has denied any involvement in the reported blockade of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, during his visit to the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Solomon Lorpev, said the government was not officially informed about Obi’s visit and described the failure to notify the state authorities as a breach of protocol.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Lorpev rejected claims that Governor Hyacinth Alia or his administration sent people to prevent Obi from travelling within the state.
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According to the commissioner, the government only became aware of the incident after reports emerged that Obi’s convoy had been stopped along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway.
Lorpev argued that Obi, being a former governor and presidential candidate, should have informed the state government of his arrival because of the security implications surrounding his movement.
He said the police could not be regarded as acting on behalf of the governor simply because Obi’s party had informed the police of his planned visit.
The commissioner also challenged individuals alleging that government appointees were behind the blockade to provide evidence.
He maintained that the state government was investigating the incident and would issue a statement once the facts were established.
The controversy followed Obi’s arrival in Makurdi on Tuesday for a planned visit to Yelewata, where he intended to sympathise with families affected by the deadly June 2025 attacks.
Obi arrived at the Tactical Air Command airport in Makurdi at about 9 a.m. and was received by NDC governorship candidate Terhemba Shija and other party officials.
However, his convoy reportedly encountered a roadblock mounted by youths along the Makurdi-Gboko federal highway shortly after leaving the airport.
The blockade reportedly caused traffic congestion after the road was closed to motorists.
Reacting to the incident, Obi described the development as “very worrisome” and condemned the use of youths to perpetrate political violence.
He said he had travelled to Yelewata to console victims and show solidarity with families affected by the killings.
The incident has since triggered renewed debate over political freedom, security arrangements and the responsibilities of state authorities during visits by prominent political figures.
While the Benue Government continues to deny responsibility for the blockade, it says its investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether any government officials were involved.
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