Monday, November 17, 2025 - House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has said the reforms President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced since assuming office have been working for Nigeria’s development.
He noted that though the reforms have been tough, they
remained necessary for Nigeria’s further development.
The Speaker called for patience and demanded sacrifice from
Nigerians to enable the nation to attain greater heights.
He said the reforms have engendered “gradual stabilization
of exchange rates, improved fiscal discipline, growth in agriculture, better
revenues for states, and a return of investor confidence”.
Abbas added: “These improvements show that the path we are
on is the right one.”
The Speaker said this yesterday in Lagos during the
presentation of utility vehicles to some traditional rulers in southern
Nigeria, which he facilitated through the Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
It was the second time the Speaker was extending such
gesture to the traditional institutions in the South, having done the first one
in May when six royal fathers went home with brand new vehicles.
Previous beneficiaries nationwide included first-class and
second-class traditional rulers in Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Delta, Ebonyi, Imo,
Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, Taraba, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT), among others.
The beneficiaries of yesterday’s gesture include the
Ayangburen of Ikorodu, the Onikate of Ikate, the Paramount Ruler of Okobo Land
in Akwa Ibom, Igwe Fidelis Ogbu of Enugu, Igwe Robert C. of Anambra State, and
Oba Arole-Agbala of Ondo.
Abbas said the “interventions were not acts of convenience
but “a recognition of the indispensable contributions of our traditional
leaders to peacebuilding, conflict mediation, religious harmony, cultural
preservation and community development”.
He added: “We remain firmly convinced that the cultural and
traditional pillars of Nigeria must be supported, respected, and empowered
because a stable nation begins with strong, trusted institutions at the
grassroots.
“These vehicles are not gifts of comfort. They are tools for
duty. They enhance the mobility and effectiveness of leaders who remain the
first and most trusted point of contact for millions of our citizens.
“Traditional rulers are essential for conflict resolution,
local intelligence, community mobilization, and cultural stability. When they
lack mobility, their ability to respond to emergencies, support development
initiatives, and liaise with the government is limited. Enhancing their
capacity is, therefore, a strategic investment in peace, order, and grassroots
governance.”
The Speaker noted that “stable and
credible traditional institutions are not a luxury” but essential pillars of
national cohesion”. He added: “Supporting them does not compete with
investments in schools, hospitals, or infrastructure. On the contrary, our
action reinforces those investments by ensuring that communities are stable, organized,
and receptive to development.
“More importantly, our
intervention aligns fully with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed
Tinubu, which places strong institutions and community-rooted leadership at the
heart of national renewal.”
Abbas said it was in recognition
of the critical role traditional rulers play that the National Assembly was
pursuing a constitutional amendment to define and protect such role.
He said the Tinubu administration
was convinced that the traditional institution remained critical to the
country’s development, which explained why the President consulted royal
fathers across the country.
“He has invited them into major
conversations on security and development. He has acknowledged their stabilizing
influence in moments of tension. His Renewed Hope Agenda recognizes that
national progress must begin in communities and harness the credibility of
natural leaders. It is within this same spirit of reform and partnership that
the broader economic measures of his administration must be understood,” Abbas
said.
The Speaker underscored the need
to protect the gains already achieved under the Tinubu administration.
He said Nigeria cannot afford to
reverse its progress, adding: “The reforms underway must be completed,
consolidated and carried forward beyond 2027. This requires unity of purpose
and consistent leadership.
“I, therefore, call on our revered
traditional rulers to lend their voices, their influence, and their moral
authority to ensuring continuity in the years ahead, so that the work we have
started is not abandoned midway.
Abbas assured the monarchs and
other Nigerians that the House would remain steadfast partners and allies in
championing constitutional safeguards that protect and elevate the traditional
institution.
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