President Bola Tinubu has outlined ambitious economic expectations for 2026, projecting stronger growth, easing inflation and broader prosperity as his administration moves to consolidate the impact of reforms introduced over the past year.
In his New Year address to Nigerians on Thursday, the president described 2026 as a critical phase in the country’s economic reset, arguing that policies implemented in 2025 had laid the groundwork for recovery despite global economic pressures.
According to Tinubu, last year marked a turning point with what he described as a fiscal reset that stabilised key economic indicators. He said the administration recorded steady progress in growth, trade balance and currency stability, adding that early results were beginning to emerge from reforms that initially proved difficult for citizens.
The president said government attention in the new year would shift from adjustment to consolidation, with a focus on building a more resilient and inclusive economy capable of delivering measurable benefits at the household level.
He disclosed that economic data from 2025 showed strong quarterly GDP performance, with annual growth projected to exceed four per cent, alongside sustained trade surpluses and improved stability in the foreign exchange market. Inflation, he said, eased steadily through the year, falling below the 15 per cent mark, a trend the government intends to push further in 2026.
Tinubu also highlighted Nigeria’s external buffers, noting that foreign reserves stood at 45.4 billion dollars at the end of December 2025, a position he said would help shield the naira from external shocks. He added that renewed investor confidence was evident in the sharp rise in foreign direct investment recorded in the third quarter of 2025, a development supported by improved credit assessments from international rating agencies.
On public finance management, the president said the 2026 Appropriation Bill reflected tighter fiscal discipline and a long-term stability strategy, stressing that sustainable growth would depend on patience and national unity.
He further revealed that 2026 would be pivotal for the implementation of tax reforms aimed at harmonisation, fairness and competitiveness. According to him, the reforms are expected to strengthen government revenue, expand infrastructure funding and support social investment programmes designed to spread the gains of economic recovery more evenly.
As Nigeria enters the new year, Tinubu’s projections set clear benchmarks against which the administration’s economic performance in 2026 is likely to be judged, particularly on inflation control, growth delivery and the extent to which reforms translate into improved living standards for ordinary Nigerians.
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