By Emmanuel Mogbede
The Tinubu Must Stay (TMS) pressure group has called for continuity in President Bola Tinubu’s reforms, saying they require further implementation to deliver long-term outcomes.
National Convener of the group, Alhaji Ibrahim Uba, made the call in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Uba was reacting to Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary, saying TMS would advocate continuity “peacefully, factually and democratically”.
He said Nigeria’s Independence anniversary provided an opportunity to examine the country’s progress toward fulfilling its promise of responsible resource management and strong institutions.
Uba said the Tinubu administration inherited serious fiscal, monetary, security and social pressures when it assumed office on May 29, 2023.
According to him, the administration responded with major policy changes, including petrol subsidy removal and foreign-exchange reforms.
He acknowledged that the measures imposed substantial costs on households, resulting in higher living, transportation and energy costs.
He, however, urged Nigerians to assess the administration’s record through measurable outcomes, unresolved challenges and the longer-term objectives of its reforms.
“It is against this background that we introduce TMS, a national advocacy and communication initiative established by citizens who support continuity,” he said.
Uba said the group would explain government policies, highlight documented programmes and projects, respond to misinformation and provide platforms for citizens to scrutinise government’s record.
He said TMS would use digital explainers, community dialogues, youth engagements, media partnerships, expert analysis and citizen testimonies.
According to him, the initiative would make complex public policies easier for Nigerians to understand, interrogate and debate.
Uba cited economic growth and other indicators as areas through which the administration’s performance could be assessed.
He said Nigeria recorded 4.43 per cent real Gross Domestic Product growth in the second quarter of 2026.
He said the figure compared with 4.23 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025 and 3.89 per cent in Q1 2026.
He attributed the figures to the National Bureau of Statistics, adding that headline inflation stood at 15.39 per cent in August.
According to him, the August inflation rate represented a marginal decline from 15.43 per cent recorded in July.
“While this represents a moderation in the rate of inflation, it does not mean that prices have fallen,” he said.
Uba said the Consumer Price Index continued to rise, meaning households still faced increasing prices, albeit at a slower rate.
He said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had reported that more than 1.5 million students benefited from its loan programme by June.
According to him, more than ₦282 billion had been disbursed under the student-loan programme.
Uba also said the 3 Million Technical Talent programme had recorded more than 160,000 trained fellows across three cohorts.
He added that about 1.87 million people were registered in the programme’s broader pipeline.
“In healthcare, the National Health Fellows Programme has deployed young Nigerians across the country’s 774 Local Government Areas,” he said.
He said the fellows were supporting healthcare delivery, accountability and health-sector reform across the country.
Uba said the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and Federal Housing Authority projects had delivered more than 10,000 housing units nationwide.
He added that more than 300,000 jobs were projected or associated with the housing programme.
He also identified the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles as another significant government intervention.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that official figures indicate that more than 120,000 vehicles have been converted to CNG.
Uba recalled that the programme was supported by more than 400 certified conversion centres and over 90 refuelling stations.
He, however, said the challenge was ensuring the expanding CNG infrastructure translated into meaningful and widespread reductions in transportation costs.
He said agricultural interventions had covered fertiliser distribution, improved seedlings, mechanisation, irrigation, finance and market access.
He noted that millions of farmers had been reached through various agricultural programmes.
On security, Uba said operations against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, oil theft and other violent crimes had been intensified.
He said this had resulted in significant improvements in security across the country, although progress should ultimately be measured by citizens’ safety.
“We recognise that statistics do not erase hardship and that government programmes should be assessed not merely by announcements or expenditure,” he said.
Uba said such programmes should instead be judged by their actual impact on citizens.
“Our purpose, therefore, is not to deny Nigeria’s difficulties, it is to ensure that public debate also recognises documented positive interventions,” he said.
He said competing claims should be tested against evidence, while citizens should continue questioning government, verifying claims, scrutinising policies and demanding results.
“We equally believe achievements should be acknowledged where the evidence supports them,” Uba said. (NAN)
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
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