By Julius Peter
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said the Federal Government’s ambition of growing Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy by 2030 requires sustained investment in infrastructure, human capital, industrialisation and productivity.
Yilwatda stated this while representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the second edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series/Asiwaju Policy Roundtable, where he conveyed the President’s greetings and appreciation to Nigerians for the opportunity to engage on the country’s economic transformation agenda.
The APC chairman said the Tinubu administration had embarked on difficult but necessary reforms aimed at moving the country from economic uncertainty to stability, and ultimately to sustainable growth and prosperity.
According to him, the progress recorded under the administration demonstrates that the foundations of the Nigerian economy are gradually being strengthened.
He identified stronger external reserves, increased non-oil revenue, improved trade performance, sustained Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and a significant moderation in inflation as some of the indicators of progress recorded since the implementation of the administration’s economic reforms.
Yilwatda, however, stressed that macroeconomic stability should not be regarded as the ultimate objective of the government’s economic programme, but rather as the foundation upon which tangible improvements in the lives of Nigerians would be built.
He said the ultimate test of the reforms would be their ability to translate into cheaper food, more employment opportunities, affordable credit, reliable electricity and stronger purchasing power for citizens.
“The gains we are seeing demonstrate that the foundations are being strengthened. But macroeconomic stability is not the destination; it is the foundation for cheaper food, more jobs, affordable credit, reliable power and stronger purchasing power,” he said.
The APC chairman also described President Tinubu’s target of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030 as more than a statistical ambition, stressing that it represents a national mission to build a more productive, competitive and prosperous country.
He explained that achieving the target would require an integrated economic architecture capable of connecting Nigeria’s production centres with domestic and international markets.
According to him, strategic investments in highways, railways, deep-sea ports, energy infrastructure and digital connectivity would be critical to unlocking the country’s economic potential.
Yilwatda said the government’s maritime development plans, including the five-port vision, when supported by efficient road and rail corridors, could position Nigeria as the maritime, logistics and industrial gateway to West and Central Africa.
He noted that Nigeria’s large population, strategic location and abundant human and natural resources provided significant opportunities for the country to emerge as a major regional production and logistics hub.
The APC chairman further emphasised the need to ensure that infrastructure investments translate directly into productive economic activities rather than becoming isolated projects.
He listed industrial parks, agro-processing zones, logistics hubs and manufacturing clusters among the infrastructure and economic initiatives capable of converting Nigeria’s resources and connectivity into increased production, employment, exports and investment.
He also highlighted the importance of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline in expanding access to gas and supporting industrial and manufacturing activities.
According to him, improved energy infrastructure would be essential to reducing production costs, strengthening local industries and creating an environment conducive to both domestic and foreign investment.
Yilwatda also placed strong emphasis on the role of Nigeria’s youthful population in achieving the country’s economic ambitions.
He said the government must continue to invest in education, vocational and technical skills, digital training and access to responsible credit so that young Nigerians could become active participants in the nation’s economic transformation.
He argued that the $1 trillion target could not be achieved solely through government spending or natural-resource revenues, but through a productive economy driven by businesses, entrepreneurs, skilled workers, technology and innovation.
The APC chairman’s remarks came against the backdrop of preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the ruling party seeking to present the Tinubu administration’s reforms and economic policies as the basis for continued development.
Yilwatda said the choice before Nigerians as the country approaches 2027 would be between sustaining the reform process and returning to policies that, in the APC’s assessment, had contributed to economic stagnation.
“As we approach 2027, the choice before Nigerians is clear: progress or retreat; productivity or stagnation; investment or isolation,” he said.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration had laid the foundation for long-term economic transformation and that the next phase should focus increasingly on translating reforms into measurable improvements in the standard of living.
According to him, the administration’s economic agenda should move progressively from stabilisation to growth and then to broad-based prosperity.
He said: “Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the foundation has been laid and the work has begun. Our task now is to move from reform to results, from results to growth, from growth to prosperity, and from prosperity to a $1 trillion economy.”
The roundtable provided a platform for discussions on the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, as well as their implications for Nigeria’s economic future.
The APC chairman urged stakeholders and Nigerians to focus on building an economy capable of producing goods and services competitively, creating sustainable employment and attracting investment.
He stressed that the success of the administration’s economic agenda would ultimately depend on the ability to convert improved macroeconomic indicators into real opportunities and better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
Yilwatda therefore called for sustained commitment to the ongoing reform process, investment in productive infrastructure and human capital, and policies that would encourage businesses to expand production and create jobs.
He said Nigeria’s transition from economic uncertainty to stability must be followed by deliberate measures to deepen growth and ensure that the benefits of economic expansion reach households, businesses and communities across the country.
The APC chairman’s presentation reinforced the administration’s broader argument that Nigeria’s economic transformation is a long-term process, requiring policy consistency, infrastructure development, private-sector participation and investment in the country’s human capital.
With the 2030 $1 trillion economy target ahead, he said Nigeria must now concentrate on building the productive capacity, infrastructure and skilled workforce required to make the ambition achievable.
