‘I’m aware of your struggles’ – Tinubu tells Nigerians

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President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday acknowledged the hardships many Nigerians face due to the soaring cost of living and the challenge of securing gainful employment.

In his Independence Day nationwide address, Tinubu assured citizens that their concerns have not gone unnoticed, emphasising that their voices are being heard by his administration.

He said: “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

“Exactly 64 years ago, our founding fathers chose democracy as a form of government and launched the dream of a great country that would lead the rest of Africa out of poverty, ignorance, and underdevelopment, a beacon of hope to the rest of Africa and the world.”

He stressed that in the six decades since the country gained independence, it has made significant strides in fulfilling the lofty aspirations of its founding fathers.

The President added that the world continues to witness and benefit from the resilience and ingenuity of the Nigerian people, whose immense intellectual capacity, entrepreneurial spirit, and industriousness are evident across all fields—ranging from the arts to science, and from technology to infrastructure.

“The dreams that our founding fathers envisaged are still a work in progress. Every day, we put our hands on the plough, determined to do a better job of it.

“While it is tempting to focus on what has been left undone and where we have stumbled as a nation, we must never lose sight of how far we have come in forging and holding our country together.”

He noted that since gaining independence, Nigeria has endured numerous crises and upheavals—challenges that have led to the dissolution and disintegration of many nations around the world.

“Six years after independence, our country descended into a political crisis that led to a bitter and avoidable civil war. Since returning from the brink of that darkest moment, we have learned to embrace our diversity and manage our differences better as we continue to work towards engendering a more perfect union. Despite the many challenges that buffeted our country, we remain a strong, united, and viable sovereign nation.

“Dear compatriots, our independence anniversary gives us another chance to reflect on how far we have gone in our journey to nation-building and to renew our commitment to building a better nation that will serve present and future generations of Nigerians.

“While we celebrate the progress we have made as a people in the last sixty-four years, we must also recognise some of our missed opportunities and mistakes of the past. If we are to become one of the greatest nations on earth, as God has destined us to be, our mistakes must not be allowed to follow us into the future.”