Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his New Year message to Nigerians, spoke on the economic outlook for the country in 2025 and the prospective interventions of his administration. The president also announced plans for the upcoming youth conference and his intention to unveil the National Values Charter, among other issues.

Here is the full text of the president’s New Year message.

Fellow Nigerians,

As we enter 2025, I wish everyone a happy and prosperous New Year. May you be rich in joy, success, and good health.

As the new year dawns, it brings many hopes, aspirations, and prospects for better days. By the grace of God, 2025 will be a year of great promise in which we will fulfill our collective desires.

Though 2024 posed numerous challenges to our citizens and households, I am confident that the New Year will bring brighter days.

Economic indicators point to a positive and encouraging outlook for our nation. Fuel prices have gradually decreased, and we recorded foreign trade surpluses in three consecutive quarters. Foreign reserves have risen, and the Naira has strengthened against the US dollar, bringing greater stability.

The stock market’s record growth has generated trillions of naira in wealth, and the surge in foreign investment reflects renewed confidence in our economy. Nevertheless, the cost of food and essential drugs remained a significant concern for many Nigerian households in 2024.

In 2025, our government is committed to intensifying efforts to lower these costs by boosting food production and promoting local manufacturing of essential drugs and other medical supplies. We are resolute in our ambition to reduce inflation from its current high of 34.6% to 15%. With diligent work and God’s help, we will achieve this goal and provide relief to all our people.

In this new year, my administration will further consolidate and increase access to credit for individuals and critical sectors of the economy to boost national economic output.

To achieve this, the federal government will establish the National Credit Guarantee Company to expand risk-sharing instruments for financial institutions and enterprises.

The Company—expected to start operations before the end of the second quarter—is a partnership of government institutions, such as the Bank of Industry, Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Agency, and Ministry of Finance Incorporated, the private sector, and multilateral institutions.

This initiative will strengthen the confidence of the financial system, expand credit access, and support under-served groups such as women and youth. It will drive growth, re-industrialisation, and better living standards for our people.

On a personal note, thank you for placing your confidence in me as your president. Your trust humbles me, and I promise to continue serving you diligently and wholeheartedly.

We will continue to embark on necessary reforms to foster sustainable growth and prosperity for our nation.

I seek your cooperation and collaboration at all times as we pursue our goal of a one trillion-dollar economy. Let us stay focused and united.

We are on the right path to building a great Nigeria that will work for everyone. Let us not get distracted by a tiny segment of our population that still sees things through the prisms of politics, ethnicity, region, and religion.

CITIZENSHIP

To achieve our national goals and objectives, we must become better citizens and uncompromising in our devotion and allegiance to Nigeria.

Citizens’ moral rectitude and faith in our country are fundamental to the success of the Renewed Hope Agenda. In 2025, we will commit to promoting adherence to ethical principles, shared values, and beliefs under the National Identity Project.

I will unveil the National Values Charter, already approved by the Federal Executive Council, in the first quarter of 2025. I will launch an ambitious national orientation campaign that fosters patriotism and love for our country and inspires citizens to rally together. The Charter will promote mutual commitments between the government and citizens and foster trust and cooperation among our diverse population and between the government and the citizens.

As far-reaching and foundational as our reforms are, they can produce the desired outcomes only through shared common values and identities and unconditional love for our country.

The Youth Confab will begin in the first quarter of 2025, a testament to our commitment to youth inclusiveness and investment as nation-builders. The Ministry of Youth will soon announce the modalities for selecting the conference’s representatives from our diverse, youthful population.

Dear Compatriots, I urge you to continue believing in yourselves and keeping faith in our blessed country.

Let me use this New Year’s message to urge our governors and local council chairpersons to work closely with the central government to seize emerging opportunities in agriculture, livestock, and tax reforms and move our nation forward. I commend governors who have embraced our Compressed Natural Gas initiative by launching CNG-propelled public transport. I also congratulate those who have adopted electric vehicles as part of our national energy mix and transition. The Federal Government will always offer necessary assistance to the states.

To all citizens, your sacrifices have not been in vain over the past 19 months. I assure you they will not be in vain even in the months ahead. Together, let us stay the course of nation-building.

The New Year will bring us closer to the bright future we all desire and the Nigeria of our dreams.

God bless you all, and may God bless our beloved country, Nigeria.

Happy New Year and a prosperous 2025 to you all!

Bola Ahmed Tinubu,

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

January 1, 2025

President Bola Tinubu has expressed his profound joy at the re-opening of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, describing it as another remarkable achievement in 2024 that has strengthened Nigerians’ hope in his administration.

Today, the Warri Refinery resumed operations weeks after NNPC Limited restarted the 60,000 Barrels per day at the Port Harcourt Refinery in November.

With Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) now operational after several years of inactivity, President Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to boosting local refining capacity and making Nigeria a hub for downstream industrial activities in Africa.

The All Progressives Congress-led administration of President Muhammadu Buhari awarded the contract for the complete rehabilitation and overhaul of the four state-owned refineries.

President Tinubu confidently stated that with the 125,000 (bpd) Warri Refinery now operating at 60% capacity, his administration’s comprehensive plan to ensure energy efficiency and security is fully on track.

He commended the Mele Kyari-led management of NNPCL for their efforts in restoring Nigeria’s status as a major oil-producing country.

“The restart of Warri Refinery today brings joy and gladness to me and Nigerians. This will further strengthen the hope and confidence of Nigerians for a greater and better future that we promised. This development is a remarkable way to end the year following the feat recorded earlier with the old Port Harcourt Refinery. I am equally happy that NNPC Limited is implementing my directive to restore all four refineries to good working condition.

“I congratulate Mele Kyari and his team at NNPCL for working hard to restore our national pride and make Nigeria a hub for crude oil refining in Africa,” President Tinubu said.

President Tinubu urged NNPCL to expedite repair work on the Kaduna Refinery and the 150,000 (bpd) second refinery in Port Harcourt to solidify Nigeria’s position as a global energy provider.

WRPC will focus on producing and storing critical products, including Straight Run Kerosene (SRK), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and heavy and light Naphtha.

Barely a month after the commencement of operations at the 60,000-barrel-per-day-old Port Harcourt Refinery, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced that the 125,000-barrel-per-day Warri Refining & Petrochemicals Company in Warri, Delta State, is now operational.

This was disclosed by the NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, during a tour of the facility on Monday.

A video posted by Channels TV on Monday showed Kyari addressing a tour team, which included the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed.

Before the tour commenced, Kyari explained that the inspection aimed to show Nigerians the level of work completed so far.

According to him, although the repairs on the facility are not yet 100 per cent complete, operations have commenced.

He said, “We are taking you through our plant. This plant is running. Although it is not 100 per cent complete, we are still in the process. Many people think these things are not real. They think real things are not possible in this country. We want you to see that this is real.”

Located in Ekpan, Uwvie, and Ubeji, Warri, the petrochemical plant produces 13,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTA) of polypropylene and 18,000 MTA of carbon black.

Commissioned in 1978 and managed by NNPCL, the WRPC was built to supply markets in the southern and southwestern regions of Nigeria.

The mechanical completion of the facility was initially scheduled for the first quarter of 2024, according to the NNPCL spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye.

“Warri should be done by Q1 (first quarter) 2024,” Soneye stated.

The WRPC is one of Nigeria’s four refineries, alongside the old and new Port Harcourt Refining Company in Rivers State and the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company in Kaduna State.