Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has strongly defended President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, declaring that the administration is confronting long-avoided decisions on security and economic restructuring.
Speaking at the PGF–Renewed Hope Ambassadors Interactive Session with members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja, Uzodimma said Nigeria’s security challenges have reached a critical point that demands bold, structural responses rather than routine interventions.
He argued that the Tinubu administration has demonstrated a level of political will previously lacking, particularly in areas such as state policing, military expansion, and international security cooperation.
“Insecurity can no longer be treated as routine. The challenges are serious, but the direction is right and being pursued with sustained commitment,” Uzodimma said.
State Police, Security Reforms Gain Momentum
The governor highlighted ongoing efforts to decentralise policing through the State Police Constitution Alteration Bill, currently among key proposals before the National Assembly, with expectations that the amendment process will be concluded within the year.
He disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police has already inaugurated a committee to design a workable framework for state policing, while recruitment into the Police and Armed Forces has been ramped up following the declaration of a national security emergency.
Uzodimma also pointed to enhanced intelligence-sharing arrangements with international partners, citing a joint operation between Nigerian forces and the United States military against an ISIS-linked terrorist enclave in Sokoto State in December 2025 as evidence of deepening global collaboration.
He further noted that authorities have published the identities of alleged terrorism sponsors and are restructuring Nigeria’s security architecture to improve coordination and operational efficiency.
“Nigeria Is Reforming, Not Collapsing”
On the economy, Uzodimma rejected narratives of decline, insisting that Nigeria is undergoing difficult but necessary reforms that will strengthen long-term stability and competitiveness.
According to him, key indicators suggest resilience despite global shocks, including steady economic growth, improved foreign reserves, a bullish stock market, and expanded social investment programmes.
“A country that continues to grow at about four per cent, maintains strong external reserves, supports students with interest-free loans, and advances infrastructure development is not collapsing—it is reforming,” he said.
He described the Renewed Hope agenda as a comprehensive policy framework focused on institutional reforms, infrastructure renewal, security coordination, and social investment—not merely a political slogan.
Call for Stronger Global Partnerships
Uzodimma urged foreign governments, investors, and development partners to take advantage of Nigeria’s reform climate, arguing that ongoing changes have improved investment viability and programme sustainability.
He cited the Nigeria–United Kingdom Strategic Partnership as a model for deeper bilateral cooperation, noting that current conditions offer some of the most favourable opportunities for engagement in decades.
“Where you are facilitating investment, macroeconomic stability has made it more bankable. Where you are pursuing security cooperation, there is now alignment between political will and operational delivery,” he said.
Nigeria Targets $1 Trillion Economy
Also speaking, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the international community across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, governance, renewable energy, and climate action.
He said achieving the country’s $1 trillion economy target would depend on stronger partnerships between federal and state governments, investors, and development institutions.
Bagudu called for increased direct engagement with subnational governments to accelerate reform implementation and improve development outcomes nationwide.
