President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration remains committed to far-reaching reforms and long-term national development.
Tinubu spoke in Ikenne, Ogun state, on Friday at the 2026 Obafemi Awolowo memorial lecture organised by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation.
Represented by Iziaq Salako, minister of state for health and social welfare, the president said the government’s agenda reflected the visionary leadership style of late nationalist Awolowo.
He added that Nigeria today has a leader in Awolowo’s mould, guiding the country through a critical period of reforms.
Tinubu described Awolowo as a rare statesman whose courage, intellectual depth and welfare-driven governance transformed the old western region.
He said Awolowo’s tenure as premier from 1954 to 1959 established the region as a development model built on education, healthcare and infrastructure.
“Pa Awolowo was a profoundly wise leader whose ideas and actions placed him among the great thinkers and reformers in history,” the president said.
“His introduction of free universal primary education in 1955 remains one of the most consequential policy decisions in Nigeria’s history.
“The policy laid the foundation for the strong human capital base that continues to drive development in the south-west.”
Tinubu also highlighted Awolowo’s infrastructural revolution, noting that more than 2,000 kilometres of roads were constructed across the western region.
He said the figure far exceeded the road network inherited from the colonial government.
Tinubu noted that the present administration’s economic and structural reforms had begun stabilising the economy and improving key indicators.
According to him, Nigeria recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 4.23 percent in the second quarter of 2025.
He added that the period also saw improved foreign reserves and a significant reduction in the debt-service-to-revenue ratio.
Tinubu urged citizens to support the ongoing reform agenda to sustain economic recovery and growth.
Also speaking at the event, Emeka Anyaoku, former Commonwealth secretary-general, described Awolowo as one of the three founding fathers of modern Nigeria.
He said Awolowo’s legacy continued to shape national discourse and political thought.
Reflecting on current politics, Anyaoku cautioned against excessive focus on the 2027 elections at the expense of governance.
Speaking on the theme “Politics as future-making: Awolowo and leadership as theory of action,” Wale Adebanwi, the guest lecturer, said Awolowo approached politics as a long-term project of shaping society through visionary policies and scientific governance.
Adebanwi, a professor of Africana studies at the University of Pennsylvania, United States, added that Awolowo’s intellectual works offer a pragmatic blueprint for building a prosperous and egalitarian federation.
According to him, the ideas were grounded in federalism, social justice and human capital development.
Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, executive director of the foundation, said the lecture promotes reflection on leadership and Awolowo’s enduring values.
She also announced the establishment of the Obafemi Awolowo future leaders’ fellowship, which, according to her, aims at nurturing ethical and visionary young leaders across Africa and the diaspora.
Awolowo-Dosunmu added that the foundation is considering sector-based awards to recognise individuals demonstrating excellence and integrity in their fields.
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