Buhari, the past president, the respected highly commendable president and former president of Nigeria, my regards to him. All the excellencies, the heads of states, presidents and leaders of various countries here present, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, my dear wife, the new first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, Your Excellency Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife Nana Shettima, Senate President, Distinguish Senator Ahmad Lawan, House of Representative Speaker, Right Honorable Femi Gbajabiamila and his wife Salamatu, the Chief Justice of the Federation, Olukayode Ariwoola, Your Excellencies Governors, the Chairman of our party the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Former APC Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and my brother Olusegun Osoba, Distinguish Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, Honourable Ministers and members of just dissolved National
Executive, members of diplomatic corps, the royal fathers, head of the armed forces, I salute you for your sacrifices and the supreme sacrifices you make for this country, for the men and women, we thank you. Gentlemen of the press, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my fellow citizens,
I stand before you honored to assume the sacred mandate you have given me. My love for this nation is abiding. My confidence in its people is unwavering. And my faith in God Almighty is absolute. I know that His hand shall provide the needed moral strength and clarity of purpose in those instances when we seem to have reached the limits of our human capacity.
This day is bold and majestic yet bright and full of spirit, as is our precious nation.
As a nation, we have long ago decided to march beyond the dimness of night into the open day of renewed national hope.
The question we now ask ourselves is whether to remain faithful to the work inherent in building a better society or retreat into the shadows of our unmet potential.
For me, there is but one answer. We are too great a nation and too grounded as a people to rob ourselves of our finest destiny.
This nation’s journey has been shaped by the prayers of millions, and the collective sacrifices of us all.
We have endured hardships that would have made other societies crumble.
Yet, we have shouldered the heavy burden to arrive at this SUBLIME moment where the prospect of a better future merges with our improved capacity to create that future.
To the surprise of many but not to ourselves, we have more firmly established this land as a democracy in both word and deed.
The peaceful transition from one government to another is now our political tradition. This handover symbolizes our trust in God, our enduring faith in representative governance, and our belief in our ability to reshape this nation into the society it was always meant to be.
Here, permit me to say a few words to my predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari. Mr. President, you have been an honest, patriotic leader who has done his best for the nation you love. On a more personal note, you are a worthy partner and friend. May History be kind to you.
For many years, Nigeria’s critics have trafficked the rumor that our nation will break apart, even perish.
Yet here we are. We have stumbled at times, but our resilience and diversity have kept us going and we will keep going.
Our burdens may make us bend at times, but they shall never break us.
Instead, we stand forth as Africa’s most populous nation and as the best hope and strongest champion of the Black Race.
As citizens, we declare as one unified people devoted to one unified national cause, that as long as this world exists, NIGERIA SHALL EXIST.
Take me back to the old man’s General Yakubu Gowon cliche, to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. If you are young or old, you will remember this.
Today, Fate and Destiny join together to place the torch of human progress in our very hands. We dare not let it slip.
We lift high this torch so that it might shine on every household and in every heart that calls itself Nigerian. We hold this beam aloft because it lights our path with compassion, brotherhood, and peace. May this great light never EXTINGUISH?
Our administration shall govern on your behalf but never rule over you. We shall consult and dialogue but never dictate. We shall reach out to all but never put down a single person for holding views contrary to our own.
We are here to further mend and heal this nation, not tear and injure it.
In this vein, may I offer a few comments regarding the election that brought us to this juncture? It was a hard-fought contest. And it was also fairly won. Since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has not held an election of better quality.
The outcome reflected the will of the people. However, my victory does not render me any more Nigerian than my opponents. Nor does it render them any less patriotic.
They shall forever be my fellow compatriots. And I will treat them as such. They represent important constituencies and concerns that wisdom dare not ignore.
They have taken their concerns to court. Seeking legal redress is their right and I fully defend their exercise of this right. This is the essence of the rule of law.
Over six decades ago, our founding fathers gave bravely of themselves to place Nigeria on the map as an independent nation.
We must never allow the labor of those who came before us to wither in vain but to blossom and bring forth a better reality.
Let us take the next great step in the journey they began and believed in.
Today, let us recommit our very selves to placing Nigeria in our hearts as the indispensable home for every one of us regardless of creed, ethnicity, or place of birth.
My supporters, I thank you. To those who voted otherwise, I thank you as well, I extend my hand across the political divide. I ask you to grasp it in national affinity and brotherhood. For me, political coloration has faded away. All I see are Nigerians.
May we uphold these fitting and excellent notions as the new Nigerian ideal.
My fellow compatriots,
The Nigerian ideal which I speak of is more than just an improvement in economics and other statistics. These things are important, but they can never convey the fullness of our story.
Our mission is to improve our way of life in a manner that nurtures our humanity, encourages compassion toward one another, and duly rewards our collective effort to resolve the social ills that seek to divide us.
Our constitution and laws give us a nation on paper. We must work harder at bringing these noble documents to life by strengthening the bonds of economic collaboration, social cohesion, and cultural understanding. Let us develop a shared sense of fairness and equity.
The South must not only seek good for itself but must understand that its interests are served when good comes to the North. The North must see the South likewise.
Whether from the winding creeks of the Niger Delta, the vastness of the northern savannah, the boardrooms of Lagos, the bustling capital of Abuja, or the busy markets of Onitsha, you are all my people. As your president, I shall serve with prejudice toward none but compassion and amity towards all.
In the coming days and weeks, my team will publicly detail key aspects of our program. Today, permit me to outline in broad terms a few initiatives that define our concept of progressive good governance in furtherance of the Nigerian ideal:
The principles that will guide our administration are simple:
- Nigeria will be impartially governed according to the constitution and the rule of law.
- We shall defend the nation from terror and all forms of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our country and our subregion.
- We shall remodel our economy to bring about growth and development to achieve a GDP much better than we have today, I assure you. Do that through job creation, food security, and an end to extreme poverty.
- In our administration, Women and youth will feature prominently.
- Our government will continue to take proactive steps such as championing a credit culture to discourage corruption while strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the various anti-corruption agencies. That would be a continued work in progress.
SECURITY
Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.
To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE and its ARCHITECTURE.
We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide, better training, equipment, pay, and firepower.
THE ECONOMY
On the economy, we target a GDP not less than 6% growth and significantly reduce unemployment.
We intend to accomplish this by taking the following steps:
First, budgetary reform stimulating the economy without engendering inflation will be instituted.
Second, industrial policy will utilize the full range of fiscal measures to promote domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependency.
Third, electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses and homes alike. Power generation should nearly double and transmission and distribution networks must improve significantly. We will encourage various state governments to continue to participate in this effort via generation and distribution of their own to develop local sources as well.
I have a message for our investors, local and foreign: our government shall review all their complaints about multiple taxations and various anti-investment inhibitions.
We shall ensure that investors and foreign businesses repatriate their hard-earned dividends and profits home.
JOBS
My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall honor our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy.
Our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill. This bill will give our administration the policy space to embark on labor-intensive infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry, and provide improved social services for the poor, elderly, and vulnerable.
Agriculture
Rural incomes shall be secured by commodity exchange boards guaranteeing minimal prices for certain crops and animal products. A nationwide program for storage and other facilities to reduce spoilage and waste will be undertaken.
Agricultural hubs will be created throughout the nation to increase production and engage in value-added processing. The livestock sector will be introduced to the best modern practices and steps taken to minimize the perennial conflict over land and water resources in this sector.
Through these actions, food shall be made more abundant yet less costly. Farmers shall earn more while the average Nigerian pays less.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We shall continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure. Progress toward national networks of roads, rail, and ports shall get priority attention.
FUEL SUBSIDY
Unfortunately, the budget I have glimpsed before I assume office and what I have heard is that no provision is there for fuel subsidy. So, fuel subsidy is gone. We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favored the rich more than the poor. The subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care, and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.
MONETARY POLICY
Monetary policy needs a thorough housecleaning. The Central Bank must work towards a unified exchange rate. This will direct funds away from arbitrage into meaningful investment in the plant, equipment, and jobs that power the real economy.
Interest rates need to come down, currently too high, anti people, anti business – we have to work on all of those. To me, I know I have taken you through a long time today. I will end this speech by assuring you that the mandate you have given me is not misplaced, the confidence is there, hope is back for Nigeria. Just let us be united. Thank you, God bless Nigeria, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
