Tinubu Vows Nigeria Will Defeat Terrorism, Banditry

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending terrorism and banditry in Nigeria, describing the security challenges as unacceptable and alien to the country’s values.

The President spoke on Monday while declaring open the Second National Economic Council (NEC) Conference at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. He assured Nigerians that his government is determined to strengthen the nation’s security architecture and restore peace to communities affected by violence.

“We will overcome this unacceptable terrorism and banditry. It’s not part of our culture. It’s foreign to us,” Tinubu said, adding that insecurity has been a major concern for his administration.

He announced plans to roll out seven zones of mechanisation as part of broader efforts to improve security and economic productivity, stressing that defeating insecurity requires collective resolve and resilience. According to him, insecurity remains a major hindrance to economic growth and demands urgent, coordinated action.

President Tinubu commended governors, particularly those of Borno, Katsina and Kaduna states, for their efforts in combating insecurity and defending national unity, freedom and economic assets.

Welcoming governors, ministers, members of the National Assembly, development partners and private sector leaders to the two-day conference, Tinubu said the gathering reflected a shared commitment to national development. The conference was themed “Delivering Inclusive Growth and Sustainable National Development: The Renewed Hope National Development Plan 2026–2030.”

He praised the National Economic Council, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing it as a key institution for fiscal federalism, economic governance and policy coordination.

Highlighting achievements of his administration, Tinubu said recent economic reforms have helped stabilise the economy and restore global confidence. He noted that Nigeria’s monetary policy reforms have received international recognition and commended the Central Bank of Nigeria, under Governor Yemi Cardoso, for rebuilding confidence in the system.

The President said state and local governments now receive higher and more predictable federal allocations, enabling them to pay salaries promptly, invest in infrastructure and improve social service delivery.

He added that his administration has prioritised infrastructure development in transportation, power, digital connectivity, housing and irrigation, alongside expanded social investment and human capital programmes targeting vulnerable groups, youths, women and small businesses.

According to him, the Renewed Hope Ward Development Project underscores the government’s commitment to grassroots development through a bottom-up approach.

Speaking on the Renewed Hope National Development Plan 2026–2030, Tinubu said the plan focuses on inclusive, resilient and environmentally sustainable growth. Key priorities include economic diversification, productivity, human capital development, subnational competitiveness, private sector-led growth and climate resilience.

He stressed that the success of the plan would depend largely on effective implementation at state and local government levels, making NEC critical to aligning national goals with subnational realities.

Tinubu urged stakeholders to move from policy declarations to concrete implementation through data-driven decision-making, peer learning and innovative financing, expressing optimism that outcomes from the conference would boost agricultural diversification, including dairy farming, livestock investment and ranching.

Despite acknowledging the scale of the challenges ahead, the President said Nigeria stands at a historic moment and expressed confidence that the conference resolutions would help drive sustainable national development.