President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday said Nigeria’s development challenges are rooted partly in the failure of past administrations to adopt credible long-term planning frameworks, arguing that successive governments relied on short-term funding models to pursue projects that required sustained financing and strategic continuity. He made the remarks at the Presidential Villa in Abuja while receiving a delegation of Enugu State stakeholders led by Governor Peter Mbah.
According to the President, one of the country’s recurring policy mistakes has been the attempt to finance long-gestation infrastructure and development programmes with short-term resources, a mismatch he said has repeatedly slowed national progress. Tinubu said Nigeria had not, in the past, embraced a serious long-range outlook for development, but expressed confidence that the country could still reposition itself with disciplined planning and committed leadership across all tiers of government.
He said the country was now better placed to make progress if state governments aligned with the Federal Government’s reform agenda and pursued practical, measurable development goals. In that context, Tinubu commended Mbah’s administration in Enugu State, saying the improvements outlined by the governor in security, infrastructure, education and healthcare showed that reform efforts were beginning to produce visible outcomes. The President said the results were “not abstract,” but evidence that difficult policy choices could translate into real gains for citizens.
Tinubu also assured the delegation of continued federal support for key infrastructure projects affecting Enugu and the South-East, including rail and road links, as well as ongoing power-sector reforms. Punch reported that the President specifically pledged support for critical infrastructure requests, including a rail connection tied to Enugu, while Mbah highlighted the expected impact of the Port Harcourt–Enugu rail line and ongoing road projects on regional connectivity and economic activity.
Stresssing that development cannot be driven by one level of government alone, Tinubu said national progress requires coordination among the federal, state and local governments. He urged governors to ensure that development initiatives extend beyond state capitals and reach local communities where their impact can be more broadly felt.
Earlier, Mbah said the Enugu delegation was in Abuja to thank the Federal Government for interventions in the state and to reaffirm support for Tinubu’s administration. He cited the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, the establishment of the South East Development Commission, and progress on major road and rail projects as signs of federal commitment to the region. Mbah also pledged Enugu’s political backing for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, as prominent members of the delegation echoed support for continued collaboration.
