President Bola Tinubu has told the 36 state governors that they won’t fight over the need to ensure autonomy for local governments.
The President said this during a New Year homage by Vice President Kashim Shettima and members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
During the visit in his Ikoyi home in Lagos State on Wednesday, Tinubu emphasised the critical role of state governors in driving Nigeria’s development and prosperity, saying their leadership at the subnational level is central to achieving food security, economic prosperity and rapid national growth.
He expressed his gratitude for their support and collaboration, while highlighting key areas requiring joint effort for the nation’s progress.
He said: “You are the most important link to Nigeria’s prosperity and development.
“The Federal Government accounts for about 30 to 35 percent of the allocated revenue; the rest comes to you.
“The agricultural value chain depends on you.
“You own the land, and the job is in your hands.”
President Tinubu called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments to address pressing challenges, including local government autonomy, agricultural productivity, and currency stability.
Expressing his commitment to local government development and autonomy, he stressed their importance for grassroots development and dispelled rumours of disagreement with the governors.
He said: “We will not fight within us.
“I will drive the change.
“You control your local governments.
“You can restore hope by effectively fulfilling what the people expect at the grassroots level.
“There were gossips that we had disagreements on local government autonomy.
“No.
“Just drive development at the local government.
“Nobody wants to take them away from you, but we need collaboration.
“Let’s do it together and ensure Nigeria is better off for it.”
Tinubu urged governors to prioritise agricultural growth as a pathway to economic stability.
The President said: “We have to work harder, grow more, and ensure the situation of our currency improves.
“Nigeria will see prosperity, but it requires consistent effort from all of us.”
He also urged the governors to take pride in their efforts and acknowledged their progress across the states.
He said: “There is no state we cannot visit and be proud of its development.
“We have better allocations now.
“Let me take the abuse, you take the privileges.
“Together, we will build a nation we are all proud of.”
Reflecting on his leadership journey in the last 19 months, the President expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to thrive given the resilience and leadership demonstrated by the administration.
Tinubu said: “I am glad I asked for this job, and Nigerians gave me the mandate.
“We’ll be on this voyage together.
“I thank all of you for where we are today and where we are heading.”
The President announced that he will be visiting Enugu State on January 4 as part of his planned visits to some states of the federation.
He welcomed his declaration by ThisDAY newspaper as Man Of The Year.
He commended the newspaper for recognising “what they considered a failure initially, but is now a success”.
The Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, described ThisDay’s decision to name President Tinubu Man of the Year as a significant endorsement of the administration’s policies.
AbdulRazaq noted that the acknowledgement from a media outlet known for critical media coverage during the campaign reflects the tangible progress made under President Tinubu’s leadership.
He said: “The policies are working.
“In agriculture, I was in Jigawa.
“The complaint in Jigawa was that there was a bumper harvest, but because of the strength of our currency, traders exported the harvest.
“So, most of us are encouraging ourselves to buy bumper stocks into our silos, store them for the rainy day.
“So, in terms of agriculture, the policy is working.
“We’ll continue to deepen that and ensure we are 100 percent sustained in food security and feed the whole of West Africa.”
The governor urged the President to visit various states to see the ongoing transformations and progress firsthand.
He assured Tinubu of the steadfast support of the governors, particularly in contributing to local security architecture to further enhance the nation’s security.
“I must confess that I have not done two years in this administration, but I’ve done more projects in two years than in the four years of my first term,” Governor Abdulrazaq said, adding: “We are getting more funding due to the restructuring of the economy.
