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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu says his government decided to cure Nigeria's long-standing sickness instead of just managing the pain.
The President said this on Wednesday in his Independence Day broadcast to mark Nigeria's 66th anniversary.
Tinubu explained that when he took over in 2023, the country's economy was in a very bad shape. He said it was like a patient who finds out he has cancer.
According to him, the patient has two choices - to go through painful treatment to get well, or to just take painkillers and let the cancer spread.
"For too long, Nigeria's leaders chose morphine while praying for a miracle that never came," the President said. "We chose to excise the cancer."
He said the reforms that followed were hard and Nigerians felt the side effects, but they were necessary to save the economy from total collapse.
Three years later, Tinubu said the signs of recovery are now clear.
He said the economy has grown by over 4 percent this year, oil theft has reduced, inflation has fallen from its peak, foreign reserves have been rebuilt, and the foreign exchange market is now stable.
He added that Nigeria made over $6 billion from non-oil exports in 2025, the highest in the country's history, noting that it is real money made by real Nigerian businesses.
The President said with the foundation now repaired, the focus of his administration has changed.
"The emergency treatment is over. Now begins the age of prosperity," he said.
Tinubu said prosperity to him is not about big grammar or statistics. It is about the farmer who can farm safely and earn more, factories that have power to operate, young people who can find jobs, and families who can afford food and transport.
To make life cheaper, he said government will support farmers with mechanized and dry-season farming, better seeds and fertilizer, and storage facilities. It will also build roads, railways and ports to move goods faster and cheaper.
His logic, he explained, is simple - when it costs less to produce and move goods, prices in the market will also come down.
On jobs, the President said Nigeria's large youth population must become a strength, not a problem. He promised to use gas to power industries, revive factories, expand internet access, and give businesses finance and skills to grow.
He admitted that many Nigerians are still finding it hard to feed, pay school fees and hospital bills, but said the problem was built up over many years and cannot disappear in one day.
To support the vulnerable, he said government is improving the National Social Register to reach the poorest households, providing student loans through NELFUND, and giving consumer credit through CREDICORP so workers can buy essentials without saving for years.
"These programmes are not substitutes for prosperity. They are a bridge towards it," Tinubu said. "We will defeat poverty."
He warned Nigerians against listening to those calling for a return to wasteful subsidies, describing them as regressive voices.
"Nigeria has corrected its course. We have passed through our own Red Sea. This is not the time to look back," he declared.
Tinubu thanked farmers, traders, teachers, entrepreneurs and members of the armed forces for their sacrifices, and urged all Nigerians to move forward together with hope.