President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, descended heavily on those peddling allegations of religious genocide in the country, saying no religion is under siege.
According to him, the allegations were unfounded and misleading, as citizens focus more on harmony and shared prosperity.
The President noted that Nigerians, after 65 years of Independence, had grown to appreciate religious and cultural differences and explore the advantages of diversity in terms of educational, economic, and other productive gains.
President Tinubu allayed fears of religious intolerance in the country at the unveiling of a book on the 10 years of the APC government in Nigeria authored by the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma.
The President inaugurated the Owerri-Mbaise-Umahia road, the Assumpta Twin flyover, and the Emmanuel Iwuayanwu Convention Centre.
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, two former APC Chairmen, Adams Oshiomhole and Umar Ganduje, governors of APC States, and the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, attended the commissioning of the projects and the book launch.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker, Deputy Senate President, former Senate Presidents, Senator Pius Anyim Pius, and Senator Ahmad Lawan, were also at the event.
Others include the founding Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, and former Governor of Ogun State, Segun Osoba, as well as traditional and religious leaders, members of the diplomatic corps, student unions, and market associations.
President Tinubu told the crowd at the Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu Convention Centre: “Let me also say this clearly, Nigeria is a proud, sovereign nation built on the faith and resilience of its people. Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side – not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us.
“We must never allow outsiders to tell us who we are or sow division among us. We are Nigerians, and we will stand together. Nigeria will not accept lectures from those who seek to profit from our divisions. No one loves this country more than Nigerians themselves, and no one will define us except us.
“Our duty is to stand guard over our unity, protect every citizen, and continue to prove to the world that our diversity is not our weakness, but our strength and when Nigeria stands united, no falsehood can prosper against her. So help us God,” he added.
The President also on the occasion to declare that Nigeria has “turned the corner” and that “the worst is over,” urging citizens to “stay the course” as his administration’s reforms take firmer hold.
President Tinubu said the Renewed Hope Agenda is translating into tangible recovery.
“I stand before you confident, yet humble enough to say that Nigeria is no longer where it was 10 years ago… Today, I can confidently tell you that the worst is over. Stay the course. Believe in us because we believe in you. We trust the future”, he said.
The President said the country is steadily regaining economic credibility, citing a rise in external reserves and improving macroeconomic indicators.
“Today our external reserves stand at $42.03 billion, the highest since 2019. This is the proof that Nigeria is regaining its strength and credibility in the global economy”.
He added that in the second quarter of 2025, the economy grew by 4.23%, while inflation eased to 20.12% in August, “the lowest in more than three years,” which he described as “relief… slowly, but surely reaching out to our people. You may not feel it yet, be patient.”
President Tinubu reported that Nigeria’s trade surplus rose by more than 44% in the last quarter, while manufactured exports surged by 173%.
He said: “These numbers speak of a Nigeria that’s producing, exporting and competing more than ever before,” he said, adding that the naira has steadied as foreign-exchange reforms and new investment flows “restore confidence in our economy.”
While insisting that the upward climb “has been steep,” President Tinubu maintained that the trajectory is now durable.
“We will continue to work slowly up, but steadily now with our hands on the plow, no looking back. We are going to get to the top of the mountain,” he said.
The President added: “Our critics can say whatever they want because they don’t know any better; their arithmetic has always been wrong. We understand financial engineering and progressive methodology much better than they do. That’s why we are here.”
President Tinubu linked today’s momentum to the political turn Nigeria took a decade ago.
According to him: “10 years ago, our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), came into office on the promise of change. That change is being witnessed here today”.
He credited the late President Muhammadu Buhari with beginning “the work of stabilization,” noting: “Yes, many years passed, mistakes were made, but the direction of our country shifted for the better ever since we came to power.”
He framed the event as both a celebration and a record of stewardship.
Commending Governor Hope Uzodinma for combining governance with authorship, President Tinubu said, “Good job, good thinking, highly progressive, a man of great vision. Well done.”
By documenting “the milestones and struggles of the 10 years that we’ve gone through,” he said, the governor had given Nigeria “a gift,” adding: “No nation can afford to forget its own journey, and no leaders should escape the duty of stewardship.”
Reiterating his faith in Nigeria’s federal structure, President Tinubu said the country is seeing practical dividends of reform.
“By true federalism, there is no state governor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that is struggling to pay salaries,” he asserted, adding that new infrastructure “may outlive some of us.”
He stressed the need for education and social mobility: “Today, your children are in school. No child should go to bed hungry or be excluded from being able to pass and be admitted for higher education.”
The President highlighted improvements in healthcare capacity, saying Nigerians “can say confidently” that there are well-equipped hospitals able to treat critical illnesses such as cancer.
“We are investing in the welfare of our people… Right now, this economy will work for you, not for the smugglers, not for the corrupt”.
He thanked Nigerian citizens for their “resilience,” “endurance,” and “perseverance,” promising: “You will see prosperity, you will have it.”
Calling for patriotism as Nigeria marks 65 years of independence, President Tinubu urged citizens to stop “talking ill” of the country.
“It’s 65 years of Independence — it is not a joke. We are proud of our forefathers… that Nigerians should be one, that it must be an inclusive government, that we must take care of the elderly, we must take care of the vulnerable, we must educate our children, build welfare that will take care of our healthcare system, [and] invest in agriculture mechanization and irrigation”, he said.
With adequate food production, the President said, Nigeria would not only feed itself but “export to other countries.”
President Tinubu contrasted Nigeria’s present with “the old way” that “brought our nation close to collapse.”
A “break with that past,” he said, “was not an option, it was the only way forward. We broke the jinx.”
He urged Nigerians to “look forward,” not back, and to measure progress by steady, real-world gains: “That growth is with purpose, not just on paper; it is real growth.”
The President also defended the nation’s intellectual and cultural confidence amid international scrutiny.
“We learn English, but we teach English too,” he said, invoking a broader point about Nigeria’s capacity, cohesion, and ambition.
“The last decade was a time of change; the coming decade will be an era of renewal and stability, and in that future, together, Nigeria will win. We will win with you”, President Tinubu submitted.
Deji Elumoye
About the Author
