Buhari noted that government spending on infrastructure has been an essential part of the broader strategy in securing the economic revival, which he attributed to recent positive growth.
He explained, “Our infrastructure deficit is widely known. With the volatility in capital markets, we devised creative ways to fund this infrastructure gap to build roads and thus improve market connectivity and facilitate trade.
“We devised investment tax credit schemes and the use of Sukuk bonds to reconstruct, develop and rehabilitate over 20,000kms roads.
” Additionally, we have revitalised our once comatose rail and roads such that trains are now up and running along critical corridors in different parts of the country.”
According to the president of Nigeria, “Our efforts on corruption continue to pay off as the relevant agencies continue to make impressive recoveries as well as secure Court convictions of those sabotaging Nigeria’s efforts for sustained development and growth.”
According to him, these infrastructure shortfalls would be adequately funded by the forthcoming significant monetary recoveries.
The president claimed that contrary to information available when he took office in 2015, no LGA in Nigeria was currently under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.
Nonetheless, the president admitted that the events in Libya, the Central African Republic, the Sahel region, and the war in Ukraine had negatively affected Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
In response to the invasion of foreign fighters, Buhari has stated, “Our region is awash with small and light weapons that continue to seamlessly circulate.”
The president claims that Nigeria and other African and international regional bodies are working tirelessly to counter these threats to humanity’s fundamental survival.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has praised the sacrifices made by the Nigerian military and the Multi-national Joint Task Force (composed of Chad, Niger, Cameroon, the Benin Republic, and Nigeria) in the fight against terrorism.
He added: “Despite the difficult times we face, we continue to spend very scarce and lean resources to ensure that we have a well-resourced military force to take on this task.
“Ideally, these are resources that could be spent on education or healthcare or other social services, but without peace, we have learnt that our children cannot go to school or seek good healthcare.
“We are nonetheless winning the war and making significant progress in dealing with the threats to Nigeria’s and the sub-regions safety and survival.
“This steady progress is despite the negative reportage in international media as well as the nonchalant actions and attitudes of some of our friends and allies to sufficiently appreciate our efforts in the fight against terrorism.
“Rather than focus on negativity, which is what Travel Advisories have become, Nigeria, the sub-regions of Africa and the rest of the world can work more concertedly together to combat terrorism and prevent violent extremism.”
The threats, according to Buhari, are not limited to Nigeria and Africa.
Nigeria, he continued, is still willing to collaborate with the International Community and other development partners to improve international safety and security.
“A secured and stable Nigeria is important for the general peace and prosperity of not only the country but Africa, with tremendous ramifications for global peace and stability,” the president said.
To combat threats like terrorism, climate change, and sustaining democracy in Africa, he stressed the importance of a strategic alliance with the United States.
The president announced that Nigeria was about to open her New Counter Terrorism Centre, which would serve as a centre for counter-terrorism cooperation and research in West Africa.
He states, “our activities are directed by our Terrorism Prevention Act 2022, the National Counter Terrorism Strategy, and the Policy Framework and National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE).”