President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary on Thursday with a pledge to strengthen primary healthcare and basic education, working with states and local governments, and to expand direct support for poor households.
“Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year,” the President said in his address on 1 October.
Our economy has grown by over 4 per cent this year.
He said the government would improve the National Social Register, the database used to reach vulnerable households, as it widens direct support to the poor.
Changing direction
The President acknowledged that problems built up over generations cannot be solved in four years, but said their direction can be changed. The economy, he said, should “steadily lift people out of poverty.”
The address framed the administration’s next phase around services closest to ordinary Nigerians: the primary health centre and the classroom.
The health record
The healthcare pledge builds on figures set out in June by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate. According to the minister, of the ₦339 billion disbursed through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund since 2014, ₦235 billion came under President Tinubu.
Pate said more than 8,000 primary health centres across the 36 states had been funded, with plans to expand to 17,600. He also launched the $570 million HOPE-PHC programme.
The anniversary address came as the economic picture showed signs of improvement. The World Bank reported in October that growth reached 4.2 per cent in the first half of 2026, while inflation eased to 15.39 per cent in August from 23.14 per cent a year earlier.
The planned expansion to 17,600 centres would more than double the number of primary health centres funded.
The President is seeking a second term in the presidential election on 16 January 2027.
Sources
- Premium Times — Independence anniversary: Tinubu promises stronger primary healthcare for poor Nigerians
- allAfrica — Independence Day address coverage
This report is compiled from the public news reports and official statements listed above. Quotes and figures are attributed to those who made them.