Renewed Hope Agenda Providing Measurable Opportunities for Prosperity – Information Minister

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Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris (middle), flanked by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Gawu (right) and the Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Folorunso Aluko (left) and Commissioners for Information in APC-controlled states at the conference of the commissioners in Minna, Niger State on Thursday

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu is a practical framework for national transformation, built on real and measurable opportunities for prosperity across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Speaking on Thursday in Minna, Niger State, at the Conference of Commissioners for Information in APC States, organised by the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the Minister underscored the comprehensive nature of the administration’s development drive.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda goes beyond macroeconomic reforms,” Idris said. “It is about creating concrete opportunities for prosperity across sectors – for individuals, for families, and for communities.”

He explained that from massive infrastructure investments to youth empowerment programmes and reforms in agriculture, energy, education, and innovation, the Tinubu administration is delivering a broad-based plan for inclusive growth and national renewal.

Highlighting the government’s reform efforts, the Minister referenced the removal of the fuel subsidy as a pivotal policy shift. “One of the boldest and most consequential decisions of this administration, which is the removal of the fuel subsidy, was a painful but necessary reform. Beyond saving the economy from fiscal collapse, this decision has significantly blocked areas of leakage and waste in our economy,” he said.

Idris added that the gains from such bold decisions are now funding transformative infrastructure projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Superhighway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Kaduna-Kano Standard Gauge Railway, and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway.

Additionally, he said, there is a steady investment in the provision of social services in the country and a marked increase in monthly allocations to state governments, which is enabling them to embark on projects that are already having transformative impacts across sectors at the state and local government levels.

He further disclosed that over 900,000 small businesses have already benefited from the Presidential Conditional Grant and Loan Scheme, while over 350,000 students are currently benefitting from the Students’ Loan Scheme, ensuring no young Nigerian is left behind due to financial constraints.

Idris stated that the Federal Government has so far committed approximately ₦70 billion to the Students Loan Scheme, with over 600,000 applications submitted by students seeking to benefit from the initiative.

The Minister said the creation of Regional Development Commissions by the President across the country, is aimed at driving integrated, context-specific development in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

He said the Ajaokuta-Kaduna Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline Project is progressing steadily in order to deliver power to jumpstart industrial revolution across the corridor.

“Once that is done, it will deliver power from Ajaokuta to Kaduna and Kano. It means that all the industries along that corridor will now be revamped,” he said.

Idris described the Tinubu Administration as a youth-friendly government, noting its inclusion of a significant number of young people in the Federal Executive Council as Ministers, as well as in leadership positions across various government agencies and parastatals.

He said the administration is expending ₦75 billion through the Bank of Industry on supporting Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises across all sectors in order to create jobs and build the capacity of the youth.

“These are not just abstract numbers or policy points,” he emphasized. “They are opportunities—real, measurable opportunities for every Nigerian.”

Calling on Commissioners for Information to rise to the challenge, Idris said:
“It is therefore our duty, as information managers, to ensure that the citizens of this country, across all the states of the Federation, not only know about these reforms and programmes but also understand how to access and benefit from them.”

He urged state Commissioners to return to their states with renewed energy, leveraging on platforms like the National Orientation Agency, to engage local stakeholders, and building campaigns that translate federal reforms into local results.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is keeping faith with Nigerians,” he said. “You now must translate that faith into hope and action at the grassroots.”

The conference, hosted by the Government of Niger State, brought together Information Commissioners from APC-led states to strengthen strategic communication and enhance synergy across tiers of government in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Rabiu Ibrahim
Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation.

July 10, 2025