The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the economic reforms initiated by President Bola
Tinubu saved no fewer than 27 states from financial collapse, restoring their capacity to pay salaries, execute infrastructure projects and meet basic governance obligations.
Idris spoke on Saturday while delivering a lecture titled ‘Youth and nation building: navigating opportunities in an era of national reforms’ at the 34th convocation and 43rd founders’ day ceremony of the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
According to the minister, as of May 29, 2023, about 27 states were struggling to pay workers’ salaries, with many on the brink of insolvency.
“President Tinubu traversed the length and breadth of the country during his campaign with a clear vision to reposition Nigeria,” Idris said.
“On assumption of office, he introduced reforms that have now rescued these states from collapse. Today, they are receiving almost three times what they used to get in statutory allocations.”
He added that the improved revenues had enabled states to clear salary backlogs, invest in infrastructure and deliver dividends of democracy to citizens.
The minister stressed that reforms were central to nation-building, noting that Nigeria could not advance without consistently correcting past policy errors.
“There is no nation-building without reforms. You cannot build a nation if you refuse to reform,” Idris said.
“These measures have protected the country from the economic trap we would have faced if we had continued on the old path.”
Idris also said the reforms were already creating new opportunities for Nigerian youths, particularly in emerging sectors driven by market liberalisation and fiscal restructuring.
He urged young Nigerians to take advantage of the changing economic landscape by embracing innovation, skills development and entrepreneurship, assuring that the government remained committed to policies that promote inclusive growth and national stability.
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