Tinubu’s Policies Winning on Naira, Infrastructure Spending – Budget Office DG

The Director-General of Nigeria’s Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic policies, citing currency stabilisation and massive infrastructure investments as evidence of the country’s recovery from recent financial turmoil.

According to him, the naira has recovered significantly from its 2024 collapse, strengthening from N1,800 per dollar in early 2024 to N1,525 by August 2025.

“For President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this was not just recovery but the opening proof of his broader political economy: building Nigeria on three foundations — credible currency, concrete infrastructure, and kilowatts of power,” Yakubu said in a recent statement.

The government implemented currency reforms by floating the naira, clearing a $4 billion foreign exchange backlog, and bringing remittances into official channels. Yakubu said these measures restored market confidence and reduced uncertainty for businesses, students, and investors.

He further recalled that the administration had allocated more than N5.9 trillion to infrastructure projects, particularly in the Northwest region, highlighting the Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Kano-Maiduguri Highway, and Sokoto-Illela Corridor as major projects.

“The Kaduna–Kano Expressway, Kano–Maiduguri Highway, and Sokoto–Illela Corridor cut travel times and lower costs for farmers and traders,” Yakubu explained.

Power generation has also received attention, with the revival of the 255MW Kaduna Power Plant highlighting the government’s electricity strategy.

Yakubu noted that reliable power supply enables factories to run extra shifts, helps clinics maintain vaccine refrigeration, and allows children to study under electric lighting.

The most ambitious proposal is the Tinubu National Beltway, a planned Calabar-Maiduguri-Sokoto transportation arc. This project forms part of a broader network including the Badagry-Lagos expressway, Illela-Sokoto corridor, and Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway.

Yakubu described the infrastructure strategy as building on former President Muhammadu Buhari’s projects. “Rather than rivals, the two appear as successive masons: Buhari laying the pillars, Tinubu closing the frame,” he said.

Critics have questioned whether the projects disproportionately favour certain regions, particularly Lagos and the North. However, Yakubu dismissed such concerns, arguing that practical benefits matter more than political criticism.

“The truest measure is lived experience: the driver who now saves hours on a repaired highway, the trader whose goods arrive in Lagos sooner,” he said.

The government acknowledges ongoing challenges, including Nigeria’s history of stalled projects, rising construction costs, persistent inflation, and security threats from banditry that can disrupt transportation networks.

Yakubu said that the administration’s approach represents a comprehensive strategy linking economic development with political stability. “Currency credibility fuels competitiveness. Concrete stitches the federation into one market. Kilowatts power productivity and dignity,” he said.