President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Nigerians to remain committed to democracy, national unity and economic transformation, declaring that while the June 12 generation secured democracy, the current generation must secure prosperity.

In his Democracy Day address on Friday, marking 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999, Tinubu described June 12 as a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey and paid tribute to the heroes and heroines who sacrificed for democratic governance.

The President urged stakeholders to safeguard democratic institutions and ensure credible elections in Ekiti and Osun states, stressing that democracy thrives only when citizens have confidence in the electoral process.

Addressing security challenges, Tinubu said his administration had declared a security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 police officers alongside thousands of military personnel. He disclosed that the 2026 budget allocated N5.41 trillion to defence and security, the highest in the country’s history.

He revealed that security operations had significantly weakened terrorist groups, citing the degradation of an ISWAP command centre in Arege, Borno State. According to him, terror-related deaths have fallen by 81 per cent since 2015, while more than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year. He added that over 124,000 fighters and their dependents had surrendered through Operation Safe Corridor since 2023.

Tinubu expressed concern over the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states but assured Nigerians that efforts were ongoing to secure their release. He warned bandits, kidnappers and terror sponsors to surrender or face the full force of the law.
On the economy, the President defended his administration’s reforms, saying they were necessary to stabilise public finances and restore investor confidence. He noted that federation revenues had increased, fiscal transparency had improved and investments were growing across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, technology, mining, transportation and the creative sector.

The President also highlighted gains in domestic refining capacity, which he said had strengthened energy security and reduced dependence on imported petroleum products.
Speaking on power sector reforms, Tinubu said the electricity industry inherited by his administration was plagued by generation shortfalls, weak transmission infrastructure, poor revenue collection and huge debts. He cited the implementation of the Electricity Act, which empowers states to generate, transmit and distribute electricity, as a major reform initiative.

He further disclosed that the Presidential Power Sector Task Force had been authorised to raise a N4 trillion bond to clear verified legacy debts, while the Rural Electrification Agency, with support from international development partners, was expanding off-grid and mini-grid projects across underserved communities.

The President said infrastructure projects, agricultural investments and export promotion programmes were helping to create jobs and stimulate economic growth. He revealed that the National Agricultural Development Fund was deploying 10,000 tractors over five years and that non-oil exports grew by 21 per cent in the past year.
Despite the progress, Tinubu acknowledged that many Nigerians continued to face economic hardship. He pledged that his administration would remain focused on reducing inflation, boosting food production, creating jobs and improving living standards.

The President also reiterated his commitment to local government autonomy, arguing that effective grassroots governance was essential for national development and improved security.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic struggle, Tinubu paid tribute to prominent pro-democracy figures including Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Gani Fawehinmi, Bola Ige, Alfred Rewane and several others who fought for democratic rule.

As part of the Democracy Day celebrations, Tinubu announced national honours for dozens of activists, journalists, lawyers, politicians and military officers who participated in the June 12 struggle. He said the full honours list would be released in the coming days.

The President also announced the renaming of the Institute of Petroleum Studies in Kaduna as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology in honour of the late pro-democracy leader Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
Concluding the address, Tinubu urged Nigerians to reject division and despair, embrace unity and work together to build a nation where justice, liberty and opportunity are available to all.

“Every generation has a defining responsibility. The generation of our founding fathers secured independence. The generation of June 12 secured democracy. Our generation must secure prosperity,” the President said.