The Presidency on Monday provided a comprehensive progress report on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, highlighting transformative achievements in healthcare infrastructure, student financing, and national transportation networks.
The briefing held in Abuja, served as a precursor to a nationwide media tour coordinated by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors–led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma—starting in the North-West.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communication, Tunde Rahman and other media aides of President Tinubu joined the representatives of the ministries of health and transportation to address the press conference.
The initiative, Onanuga said in his opening remarks, aimed to provide newsmen with firsthand access to ongoing projects to ensure transparent reporting and counter misinformation.
In a bid to curb medical tourism, the government announced the establishment of six National Oncology Centres. Three of these world-class facilities have already been commissioned, providing specialized cancer care within Nigeria.
Beyond specialized care, the administration has moved to fortify grassroots health, completing upgrades on over 1,000 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), with another 5,500 in the pipeline.
Furthermore, an executive order signed in 2024 has removed VAT and import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials, a move officials say is already attracting international firms to manufacture drugs locally.
In the education sector, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has emerged as a cornerstone social intervention. Officials revealed that:
950,000 students have registered for the interest-free scheme.
Over N133 billion has been disbursed to beneficiaries in universities, polytechnics, and vocational colleges.
Repayment is deferred until two years post-NYSC, easing the immediate financial burden on families.
The scheme has seen particularly high engagement in the North-West and North-East, supported by a transparent, technology-driven public dashboard for tracking disbursements.
The Federal Government is also prioritizing the “rail revolution” to reduce the strain on Nigerian roads. Sir James Zirra, Director of Rail Development, confirmed that while the Abuja–Kaduna line is fully operational, work is accelerating on the Kano–Maradi and Kano–Dutse links.
On the roads front, the media tour will inspect the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway and the Abuja–Kano Expressway. These efforts are being complemented by the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, which is now 95% complete and poised to industrialize the northern corridor.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Senior Special Assistant Tunde Rahman emphasized that the upcoming tour is about accountability.
”Firsthand reporting will help ensure Nigerians are accurately informed about the impact of these projects on their everyday lives,” Onanuga stated, urging the media to engage directly with beneficiaries—from students on campus to patients in the new health centers—as the tour moves across the country.
