The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has highlighted the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030, describing the target as a national mission to build a more productive and prosperous Nigeria.
Yilwatda stated this while representing President Tinubu at the second edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series and Asiwaju Policy Roundtable.
He conveyed the President’s greetings and appreciation for the opportunity to engage Nigerians on the country’s economic transformation, saying the administration was working to move the nation from economic uncertainty to stability, growth and prosperity.
The APC chairman said progress had been recorded since the implementation of what he described as difficult but necessary economic reforms, including stronger external reserves, increased non-oil revenue, improved trade performance, sustained GDP growth and a significant moderation in inflation.
“These gains demonstrate that the foundations are being strengthened, even as we recognise that macroeconomic stability is not the destination, but the foundation for cheaper food, more jobs, affordable credit, reliable power and stronger purchasing power,” he said.
Yilwatda said the administration’s $1 trillion economy target was “not merely a number,” but a broader plan to make Nigeria more productive, competitive and prosperous.
He stressed that achieving the target would require an integrated economic architecture built around strategic highways, railways, deep-sea ports, energy infrastructure and digital connectivity.
“Our five-port maritime vision, supported by major road and rail corridors, can position Nigeria as the maritime, logistics and industrial gateway to West and Central Africa,” he said.
According to him, industrial parks, agro-processing zones, logistics hubs, manufacturing clusters and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline would help translate infrastructure investments into production, jobs, exports and investment.
He also emphasised the importance of investing in Nigeria’s young population through education, skills development, digital training and responsible access to credit.
Yilwatda said the country’s economic transformation must ultimately deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians, including improved purchasing power, employment opportunities and access to affordable credit.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, the APC chairman said the choice before citizens was between sustaining the reform process and returning to economic stagnation.
“As we approach 2027, the choice before Nigerians is clear: progress or retreat; productivity or stagnation; investment or isolation,” he said.
Yilwatda maintained that the foundation for economic transformation had been laid under President Tinubu, but acknowledged that sustained efforts would be required to translate reforms into concrete results.
“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the foundation has been laid and the work has begun,” he said.
“Our task now is to move from reform to results, from results to growth, from growth to prosperity, and from prosperity to a $1 trillion economy,” the APC chairman added.