Akpabio praises Tinubu's outstanding achievements in economic management and national security.

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has given President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a high rating on economic reforms and security, stating that the administration has successfully repositioned Nigeria on a path of growth and stability, as evident during a traditional Sallah homage at President Tinubu's Lagos residence on Thursday.

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Akpabio, who led a delegation of Senate Principal Officers, pledged the National Assembly's unwavering support for the Tinubu administration, particularly in critical areas such as state policing, infrastructure development, increased crude oil production, and economic reforms.

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The visit, according to Akpabio, was not only to celebrate with President Tinubu but also to pray for his continued health, wisdom, and success in leading the country, as well as to wish him "Baraka" on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir.

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Akpabio stated, "We came here to felicitate the President and also wish him Baraka the Salah on this Eid-el-Kabir and to pray for him for continuous good health and wisdom, and we also prayed for our nation, for those in captivity to be released and for peace to reign in Nigeria throughout his tenure and beyond."

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The Senate President commended President Tinubu's economic policies, particularly the removal of multiple exchange rates, fuel subsidies, and other fiscal practices that had weakened the economy before the current administration took office in 2023.

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Akpabio said, "We appreciate Mr. President for his reforms, which have done a lot to reposition Nigeria on the trajectory of growth and constrain the kind of economy that we met when he came on board in 2023."

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He noted that the country had inherited an economy burdened by unsustainable spending, multiple exchange rates, and crude oil forward sales that prevented Nigeria from maximizing revenue from oil production.

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Akpabio explained that the previous administration's practices, including "future sales" and "Ways and Means," had hindered the growth of a non-oil economy, but President Tinubu has since stopped these practices.

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The Senate President listed the elimination of fuel scarcity and long queues at filling stations as one of the most visible achievements of the administration, stating, "We appreciate the fact that in the last three years he has brought the very long queues people used to experience at filling stations to an end."

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Akpabio also praised the administration's tax reform and harmonization drive, describing it as one of the most significant fiscal reforms undertaken in recent times, and commended the harmonization of taxes in Nigeria, including those dating back to 1939.

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He noted that despite the progress made, more work still needed to be done, especially in the area of security, and assured that the National Assembly would continue to partner with the executive arm to strengthen the country's security architecture and legislative framework.

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Akpabio stated, "We are assuring him of the co-creation of lawmakers in Nigeria, particularly the National Assembly, and I will stand by him so long as everything he proposes is positive for the future growth of this country."

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Speaking on security, the Senate President said the country had witnessed improvements under President Tinubu, stressing that insurgents no longer control territories or hoist flags in any part of Nigeria, and noted that current security threats were largely in the form of isolated attacks on soft targets.

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Akpabio explained that security agencies had curbed organized bomb attacks across the country, though he admitted that more efforts were still required given Nigeria's vast population and territorial size, and stated, "But a lot still needs to be done because Nigeria is very vast with a population of over 240 million people."

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On the issue of state police, Akpabio disclosed that the National Assembly was working on a framework that would allow states to participate more actively in internal security while ensuring proper regulation through a national state police commission.

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Akpabio added that citizens also had a responsibility to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious activities within their communities, and revealed that lawmakers were considering increasing funding for policing through improved allocations to the Police Trust Fund.

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The Senate President stated, "We are looking at moving from 0.5 per cent to one per cent of revenue from the federation account into the Police Trust Fund for infrastructure and equipment."

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Akpabio highlighted the need to increase Nigeria's crude oil production, especially with the growing local demand from the Dangote Refinery and ongoing crude sales in naira, and stated, "Now that we have started selling crude in naira and Dangote Refinery is doing well and taking a lot of crude, we need to ramp up production to boost exports and foreign exchange earnings."

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The Senate President added that the country was also looking forward to attracting more foreign direct investment into critical sectors, especially agriculture and infrastructure.