By Ezekiel Awojide, Abuja
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has stated that Nigeria is fully prepared to protect its citizens from terrorists and other criminal elements, in strict compliance with globally accepted Rules of Engagement.
Idris, who stated this at the End-of-Year Press Briefing at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, on Monday, was responding to concerns that trailed the new counterterrorism doctrine that classifies all armed groups operating outside state authority as terrorists, including bandits, militias, armed gangs, and their political or community enablers. “Nigeria has to defend itself as a country by observing the highest standards of procedure. All our Armed Forces are trained and have been collaborating with their international partners, and they are following strict protocols of engagement with terrorists. We must commend our Armed Forces for observing that,” he said.
Speaking on the achievements of the administration in 2025, the Minister said the government focused on restoring macroeconomic stability and rebuilding confidence in the Nigerian economy, noting that “our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.98% in the third quarter of 2025, demonstrating resilient and sustained expansion in the non-oil sector.” He added that inflationary pressures were decisively brought under control, as “headline inflation has now declined for eight consecutive months, to stand at 14.45% in November 2025. Food inflation is also on a steady downward trend.”
According to the Minister, Nigeria also strengthened its external reserves to approximately $44.56 billion, providing a robust buffer that stabilises the nation’s currency and assures international investors. Trade performance improved equally, he said, as Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of N6.69 trillion in the third quarter of 2025, a 27.29 per cent year-on-year growth. He further disclosed that investor confidence was reinforced by a massively oversubscribed Eurobond issuance, which attracted orders totalling 400% of the $2.3 billion target.
The Minister equally stressed that economic reform in 2025 was deliberately tied to infrastructure delivery, stating that “an economy cannot grow faster than the infrastructure that supports it.” He revealed that “on March 4, 2025, Nigeria recorded a maximum daily energy of 128,370.75 megawatt-hours (MWh) nationwide – the highest ever in our history,” alongside the rollout of the Presidential Metering Initiative and “the issuance of the first Bond under the Presidential Power Sector Debt Reduction Programme, the single largest coordinated financial intervention in the history of our power sector.”
On transport infrastructure, the Minister disclosed that the government has invested over 1.5 trillion Naira in road infrastructure in 2025 alone, the most significant such commitment in our nation’s history. He said this commitment is anchored on the Four Legacy Highway Projects, designed to connect every region and unlock new economic corridors, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Trans-Saharan Highway, and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Expressway. “These are not conventional roads. They are being built with reinforced concrete pavement designed to last 50 to 100 years, drastically cutting future maintenance costs and promoting local content,” he said.
He said the temporary pains of the reform being implemented by the administration are yielding to permanent gains and assured Nigerians that the government is consolidating stability, protecting the homeland, empowering the youth, and building a nation where every citizen has the opportunity to thrive.
Idris also noted that foundational economic reforms also extended to agriculture, with President Tinubu approving the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture with N1.5 trillion – the most significant single boost to agriculture financing in Nigeria’s recent history.
The Minister used the occasion to confirm the successful release of all the 230 abducted pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, thereby bringing to a close a distressing episode and reaffirming the government’s resolve to protect Nigerian citizens. He said the Federal Government empathises with the parents of the pupils for the anguish the abduction has caused them, while wishing the families a pleasant family reunion and a good healing process ahead of the Christmas festivities.
According to the Minister, the journey of 2025 was one of reinforcing and strengthening foundations, while the mission of 2026 is to raise the edifice of a secure, competitive, and prosperous Nigeria upon it.
