Independent Nigeria News: Tinubu Has Courage To Fix Nigeria, Deserves Support To Finish The Job – Wike
Published on: 06/07/2026
By TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has thrown his weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s infrastructure drive, declaring that the President has shown the courage and vision needed to transform Nigeria and should be supported to complete the ongoing reforms.
Wike made the declaration on Saturday while delivering the 36th Convocation Lecture of the University of Port Harcourt titled, “Leadership and Infrastructure Development in Nigeria: Lessons for Future Leaders.”
The former Rivers State governor said President Tinubu had demonstrated uncommon political will by taking difficult decisions and channelling resources toward critical infrastructure projects capable of changing Nigeria’s economic fortunes.
According to him, the President’s commitment to roads, railways, power, housing, education and digital infrastructure has positioned the country on the path of sustainable development.
“The evidence increasingly suggests that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated, beyond reasonable doubt, the courage to confront difficult choices, the capacity to mobilise national resources, and the will to pursue infrastructure as a serious instrument of transformation,” Wike said.
He noted that although some projects predated the current administration, Tinubu had injected fresh momentum into their execution and integrated them into a broader national development agenda.
Wike listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, East-West Road and access roads to the Second Niger Bridge among landmark projects receiving renewed attention under the administration.
He also highlighted the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, expansion of rail networks, ongoing reforms in the power sector, rural electrification programmes and investments in broadband infrastructure.
The minister described the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the boldest decisions taken by the administration, saying the policy had created more resources for investment in infrastructure and other critical sectors.
“Transformative leadership often requires the courage to choose long-term stability over short-term comfort,” he stated.
Wike maintained that infrastructure remains the clearest evidence of leadership performance, stressing that no nation can attain meaningful development without investments in roads, transportation, power, healthcare and education.
He argued that the true test of leadership lies in its ability to translate vision into concrete projects that improve the lives of citizens.
The FCT Minister also pointed to initiatives such as the Presidential Power Initiative, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme, the National Hydrogen Policy, the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as signs of a government focused on long-term growth.
He urged Nigerians to support ongoing reforms, warning that development efforts require consistency and sustained commitment to achieve desired results.
“If this trajectory is to be consolidated, deepened and translated into lasting national outcomes, it requires not interruption in leadership, but continuity; not hesitation, but sustained commitment,” he said.
Addressing the graduating students, Wike challenged them to embrace visionary and result-oriented leadership, insisting that Nigeria’s future depends on leaders who are willing to make difficult decisions for the collective good.
Wike made the declaration on Saturday while delivering the 36th Convocation Lecture of the University of Port Harcourt titled, “Leadership and Infrastructure Development in Nigeria: Lessons for Future Leaders.”
The former Rivers State governor said President Tinubu had demonstrated uncommon political will by taking difficult decisions and channelling resources toward critical infrastructure projects capable of changing Nigeria’s economic fortunes.
According to him, the President’s commitment to roads, railways, power, housing, education and digital infrastructure has positioned the country on the path of sustainable development.
“The evidence increasingly suggests that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated, beyond reasonable doubt, the courage to confront difficult choices, the capacity to mobilise national resources, and the will to pursue infrastructure as a serious instrument of transformation,” Wike said.
He noted that although some projects predated the current administration, Tinubu had injected fresh momentum into their execution and integrated them into a broader national development agenda.
Wike listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, East-West Road and access roads to the Second Niger Bridge among landmark projects receiving renewed attention under the administration.
He also highlighted the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, expansion of rail networks, ongoing reforms in the power sector, rural electrification programmes and investments in broadband infrastructure.
The minister described the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the boldest decisions taken by the administration, saying the policy had created more resources for investment in infrastructure and other critical sectors.
“Transformative leadership often requires the courage to choose long-term stability over short-term comfort,” he stated.
Wike maintained that infrastructure remains the clearest evidence of leadership performance, stressing that no nation can attain meaningful development without investments in roads, transportation, power, healthcare and education.
He argued that the true test of leadership lies in its ability to translate vision into concrete projects that improve the lives of citizens.
The FCT Minister also pointed to initiatives such as the Presidential Power Initiative, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) programme, the National Hydrogen Policy, the Renewed Hope Housing Programme and the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as signs of a government focused on long-term growth.
He urged Nigerians to support ongoing reforms, warning that development efforts require consistency and sustained commitment to achieve desired results.
“If this trajectory is to be consolidated, deepened and translated into lasting national outcomes, it requires not interruption in leadership, but continuity; not hesitation, but sustained commitment,” he said.
Addressing the graduating students, Wike challenged them to embrace visionary and result-oriented leadership, insisting that Nigeria’s future depends on leaders who are willing to make difficult decisions for the collective good.