By Dayo Johnson, Akure
Former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has described President Bola Tinubu’s ongoing reforms as deliberate and necessary steps to rebuild Nigeria’s national foundation.
Akande stated this at a summit jointly organised by Afenifere, the DAWN Commission, and South-West governors in Akure.
He noted that the fiscal, economic, and institutional reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration, though tough initially, are essential for Nigeria’s long-term stability and prosperity.
“The reforms unfolding — in taxation, revenue harmonisation, and expenditure rationalisation — are deliberate steps to rebuild Nigeria’s foundation. The economy is being re-engineered to reward productivity rather than dependency,” Akande said.
“We are entering an era of responsibility, where every naira must count, every policy must produce results, and every reform must serve the people.”
The APC chieftain traced Nigeria’s structural imbalance to the military era, saying that successive military regimes weakened federalism by creating excessive administrative units.
He explained that Nigeria began as a federation of northern and southern protectorates, later reorganised into three regions — north, west, and east — each with self-governing powers.
“The military, being anti-federalist, hijacked the government after independence and replaced federalism with a unitary command structure,” Akande said.
“In their one-dimensional approach, successive military regimes sought unity by balkanising the country into 36 states and nearly 800 local governments. This has overstretched national resources and created an unmanageable administrative system.”
Akande called for purposeful restructuring that restores true federalism, ensures equality of opportunity, and empowers regions for self-driven development.
He commended President Tinubu for initiating a “quiet but profound restructuring” through the creation of regional development commissions — including the South West Development Commission (SWDC) — which he described as a major step toward grassroots economic revival.
“Each regional development commission is more than a geographical zone; it’s an economic engine that puts development in the hands of the people,” he said.
“For us in the South West, this is both an opportunity and a responsibility to lead by example through innovation and collaboration.”
Akande said that one of the cornerstones of the Tinubu administration’s agenda is economic diversification, shifting focus from oil to agriculture, technology, manufacturing, and human capital development.
He noted that agriculture is being revitalised through federal and subnational investments across value chains — cassava, cocoa, rice, palm oil, poultry, and aquaculture — while the solid minerals sector is receiving renewed attention.
“The new Solid Minerals Roadmap and creation of special mining zones are positioning states, including those in the South West, to responsibly harness resources like gold, lithium, bitumen, and other high-value minerals,” Akande said.
He concluded that the ongoing reforms, though demanding, are laying the foundation for a stronger, self-reliant, and more prosperous Nigeria.
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