The Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has defended the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu, describing them as the foundation for Nigeria’s ongoing economic recovery and institutional renewal.
Governor Uzodinma spoke during an interactive session with members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Nigeria in Abuja. The engagement brought together governors, federal officials, diplomats, development partners, and representatives of the international community to discuss the country’s reform agenda under the Renewed Hope initiative.
Speaking as Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Governor Uzodinma said President Tinubu’s administration inherited a fragile economy but had embarked on bold reforms aimed at rebuilding public finances, restoring investor confidence, and repositioning Nigeria for long-term growth.
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He identified the removal of the fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market as key policy decisions of the administration, insisting that the reforms had dismantled entrenched corruption networks and expanded fiscal capacity across all levels of government.
According to him, the fuel subsidy regime had operated for decades as “the single largest organised corruption pipeline” in Nigeria’s public finance system, adding that President Tinubu’s decision to end it stopped the massive drain on public resources.
“The trajectory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is one of foundational repair followed by visible signs of economic recovery,” Governor Uzodinma stated.
He explained that funds saved from subsidy payments were now being redirected into infrastructure, healthcare, education, and economic expansion projects nationwide.
The PGF chairman also disclosed that monthly allocations to states had increased significantly since the reforms took effect, enabling many state governments to execute major infrastructure projects, improve workers’ welfare, and reduce dependence on federal bailouts and commercial loans.
Governor Uzodinma cited projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as evidence of what he described as “the most ambitious infrastructure push in Nigeria’s modern history”.
Defending the naira float policy, he said the previous multiple exchange-rate regime encouraged arbitrage and weakened economic transparency. He added that Nigeria’s foreign reserves had improved, investor confidence was returning, and exchange-rate stability was gradually being restored.
The governor further highlighted reforms in education through the student loan scheme, tax reliefs for low-income earners and small businesses, digital economy expansion, security restructuring, and improvements in oil refining and non-oil exports.
On security, Governor Uzodinma said the Federal Government was deepening cooperation with international partners while pursuing constitutional reforms that could pave the way for state policing.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a campaign slogan. It is a coherent policy framework anchored in structural reforms, infrastructure development, security cooperation, and institutional repair,” he added.
Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, described the engagement as timely and important for strengthening collaboration between the Federal Government, state governments, and the diplomatic community.
Bagudu said the Renewed Hope Agenda was designed to reposition Nigeria through economic recovery, inclusive growth, institutional reforms, improved security, and sustainable development.
He further stated that growing support for the ruling among governors was driven by confidence in President Tinubu’s reforms and leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on behalf of the diplomatic community, the Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, commended the initiative and described governors as critical development partners because of their closeness to the people.
Mignot said international partners were committed to aligning development programmes with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda while strengthening collaboration with state governments.
“We see Nigeria as a country of opportunity, and governors are key political stakeholders in the country’s democratic and economic development,” he said.
