Nigeria President Bola Tinubu say, Nigeria don "turn di corner and di worst don dey over."

Tinubu tok as e address di nation for a special broadcast to mark di country 65 years of Independence.

"Our country don experience both di good and di bad times for im 65 years of nationhood, as e dey normal for every nation and im pipo. We fight bitter and avoidable civil war, experience military dictatorships, and live through major political crises. Inside all of dis, we weather every storm and overcome every challenge wit courage, grit, and uncommon determination." Tinubu tok.

Dis na Tinubu third Independence Day address to di nation since e assume office on May 29, 2023.

Inside di broadcast wey last for about 30 minutes, Tinubu outline di challenges wey dey on ground while also offering hope say tins don dey better.

"Fellow Nigerians, we dey race against time. We must build di roads wey we need, repair di ones wey don spoil, and construct di schools our children go attend and di hospitals wey go care for our pipo. We need to plan for di generations wey go come after us.

We no get enough electricity to power our industries and homes today, or di resources to repair our deteriorating roads, build seaports, railroads, and international airports wey compare to di best in di world, because we fail to make di necessary investments decades ago. Our administration dey set tins right.

I dey pleased to report say we don finally turn d corner. Di worst is over, I say. Yesterday pain don dey become relief."

Tinubu also use di opportunity of di broadcast to tok about some of im administration policies and achievement so far while e also say all hands must be on deck to build di nation.

"My message na hope and a call to action, di federal govment go continue to do im part to fix di plumbing for our economy. Now, we must all turn on di taps of productivity, innovation, and enterprise."

Non-oil revenue
Di president say Nigeria don record increase in non-oil revenue. For 2025, dem achieve dia target by August with over N20 trillion, while reducing di country debt service-to-revenue significantly from 97% to below 50%.

Di removal of petroleum subsidy, e say don also free up trillions of Naira for targeted investment for di real economy and social programmes for di most vulnerable, as well as all tiers of govment.

Di external reserves rest at $42.03 billion dis September—di highest since 2019.

Tax law

Di president also touch on di tax reform wey go begin implementation by 2026 and wey don form big conversation for di country.

According to am, di tax law "no be bout increasing di burden on existing taxpayers but about expanding di base to build di Nigeria we deserve and providing tax relief to low-income earners."

Tinubu say di country tax-to-GDP ratio don rise to 13.5 per cent from less dan 10 per cent and say di ratio dey expected to increase further wen di new tax law take effect for January 2026.

FX reforms, Naira stability and Stock market

Tinubu also speak on di gains wey di Naira don make in di last weeks.

FX reforms na one of di first di president make wen e begin work for 2023.

According to am, since den, di gap between di official rate and di unofficial market don reduce substantially after di FX reforms and fresh capital and remittance inflows.

"Di multiple exchange rates, wey ginger corruption now na part of history. Additionally, our currency rate against di dollar no longer dey determined by up and down in price of crude oil."

Tinubu also tok about di stock market outlook, wey don rise from an all-share index of 55,000 points for May 2003 to 142,000 points as of September 26, 2025.

Di Central Bank also recently slash interest rates for di first time in five years.

Security

On security, di president choose to focus on di positive.

Nigeria dey battle wit security challenge from different quarters across di country. From Boko Haram and banditry for di north to kidnappings and oda killings for di south.

But di president say govment dey "work diligently to support national security, ensuring say our economy experiences improved growth and performance.

Di officers and men of our armed forces and oda security agencies dey work tirelessly and dey make significant sacrifices to keep us safe. Dem dey win di war against terrorism, banditry and oda violent crimes.

We see dia victories for dia blood and sweat to stamp out Boko Haram Terror for di North-East, IPOB/ESN terror for di South East and banditry and kidnapping. We must continue to celebrate dia gallantry and salute dia courage on behalf of a grateful nation."

Reactions from Nigerians as di kontri clock 65

Former vice-president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar bin don post about di kontri 65th independence anniversary.

For statement ontop im X account, e accuse di Tinubu administration of abandoning di pipo and say while Nigerians dey die of hunger and banditry di president and members of im cabinets no dey moved at all.

Atiku tok say Nigeria be like giant wey dey waka small wit decades of poor leadership and wasteful resources.

E tok say wit di right leadership di kontri go rise from di ashes of failed governance to claim dia rightful place among oda nations.

"E dey tragic say di kontri wey dey bless wit immense human and material resources, millions of our pipo don turn refugees and beggars in dia fatherland. Every responsible govment dey hold di welfare and security of dia citizens as supreme. But wetin we get today na administration wey dey abandon im own pipo. Hunger dey kill Nigerians, bandits dey massacre communities, Wednesday Independence Day broadcast.

Oyokunyi Okon tok say make di president fix di issue of corruption and stop to dey focus on productivity and self-reliance only.

"Mr President Independence Day message emphasise hope and productivity, yet e dey clear say di corruption within im govment and states, don dey make citizens question how dem fit achieve "new, prosperous, self-reliant Nigeria" without first tackling di corruption wey dey stop progress and dey undermine trust in leadership," e tok.

Meanwhile, Kayode Larsson hail di president for stabilising di economy while im ask di president make im arrest and name terrorist groups sponsors.

"Congrats, Mr. President. Nigeria economy don stabilise and path to becoming Africa giant don dey look promising. On security, arrest and name terror sponsors, and consider special court wit presidential authority to sign execution for terrorists wey dem convict. Happy Independence," e tok.

Di theme of dis year anniversary na "Nigeria @ 65: All Hands on Deck for a Greater Nation."

For di 65th Independence celebrations dem bin hold Juma'at prayer on Friday, September 26, followed by inter-denominational church service on Sunday, September 28.

However, govment bin cancel di parade dem bin earlier scheduled to celebrate di country 65th independence anniversary on October 1.